Bass Guitar

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Bass Guitar
by Ryan Williams and Richard Hammond
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Bass Guitar
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Hear Audio Tracks from This Book at

wiley.com!
In case you need a little help in understanding how a particular piece is supposed to
sound, weve included audio tracks from this book on our Web site. You can access
those files via this link: www.wiley.com/go/tyvbassguitar.
Heres a list of the tracks that youll find there:
Chapter 4
Tuning Notes
Chapter 7
The C Major Scale
Chapter 8
Simple Song in C Major
Simple Song in A Minor
Simple Song in G Major
Chapter 9
Chord Examples
I-IV-V Progressions
I-VI-IV-V Progressions
II-V-I Progressions
I-IV-II-V Progressions
Chapter 10
Quarter-note rhythms
Eighth-note rhythms
Sixteenth-note rhythms
Walking Bass
Blues Shuffle
Rock
Riffs
R&B
Reggae
Country
Chapter 11
Slap Bass Examples
Chapter 12
Rock Bass
Metal Bass
Jazz and Blues Bass
R&B and Funk Bass
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Bass Guitar
by Ryan Williams and Richard Hammond
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Teach Yourself VISUALLY Bass Guitar

Copyright 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved.
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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Praise for the Teach Yourself VISUALLY Series

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Credits
Acquisitions Editor
Pam Mourouzis
Project Editor
Suzanne Snyder
Copy Editor
Lori Cates Hand
Technical Editor
Scott Maxwell
Editorial Manager
Christina Stambaugh
Publisher
Cindy Kitchel
Vice President and Executive Publisher
Kathy Nebenhaus
Interior Design
Kathie Rickard
Elizabeth Brooks
Cover Design
Jos Almaguer
Interior Photography
Matt Bowen
Photographic Assistant
Andrew Hanson
Special Thanks...
To Renos Music (www.guitarhotline.com), especially Steve Rohrer, owner, for granting us permission to show photographs of its equipment.
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About the Authors

Ryan Williams is a bassist based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Hes shared the stage and studio with everybody and everything from Grammy-award-winning hip-hop artists to a full
band of bagpipes and drums. He received his masters
degree in music technology from the Indiana University
School of Music in 2003. Hes the author of Windows XP
Digital Music For Dummies, and has written several articles
and tutorials on music and music technology for several
publications and websites. Hes a frequent panelist on
digital music and home studios at music conferences around
the nation.
Technical editor Richard Hammond, originally from New Zealand, is now based in New
York City. He started playing electric bass at age 13, and by age 20 he was one of the most
in-demand acoustic and electric bassists in Auckland, playing numerous studio, touring, and
television dates. He moved to Bostons Berklee College of Music in 1991, earning a bachelors degree in performance, after which followed a masters degree in jazz from the
Manhattan School of Music in 1996. Richard quickly established himself as a musician able
to move freely between a vast array of styles with equal depth, fluidity, and sense of groove.
As a professional bassist, he has recorded and toured with a diverse array of bands and solo
artists, including Jonatha Brooke, Chiara Civello, the East Village Opera Company, Erasure,
House of Red, Anjelique Kidjo, and Dar Williams.
Acknowledgments
This book could not have been completed without the tireless efforts of my acquisitions editor Pam Mourouzis, project editor Suzanne Snyder, copy editor Lori Cates Hand, and technical editors Richard Hammond and Scott Maxwell. Thanks are also due to Steve Hayes,
Matt Fecher, and everybody at Indianapolismusic.net, About Music in Broad Ripple, and
the Indiana University School of Music.
I owe a great debt of gratitude to bassist and model extraordinaire Sharon Koltick.
Please contact her at http://sharonjk.com, hire her, and pay her well.
Thanks to the bassists who have inspired my playing over the years: Doug Pinnick,
Meshell Ndegeocello, Doug Wimbish, Bootsy Collins, Seth Horan, and James Jamerson.
Finally, many thanks to my wife, Jennifer Hughes, for putting up with the odd writing
schedules, the low rumbling noises emanating from my practice room, the impulse purchases
of vintage bass gear, and her love and patience in general.
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Table of Contents
chapter
An Introduction to Bass Guitar
What the Bass Guitar Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Get Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Your Milestones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
chapter
Parts of Your Bass Guitar
Parts of the Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

The Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Neck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Fretted and Fretless Basses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
The Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Bass Guitar Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Four Strings or More? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Right-handed versus Left-handed Basses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Passive and Active Pickups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Control Your Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
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Holding Your Bass Guitar
The Guitar Strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Sitting or Standing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Your Fretting Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Fingerstyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Playing with a Pick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Using Your Thumb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
chapter
Tuning Your Bass Guitar
Open-String Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Relative Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Electronic Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
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Basic Fretboard Fingering
Proper Finger Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Shift Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Shift Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Shift Across Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Stay Close to the Fingerboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
chapter
Plucking and Picking
Alternate Fingering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Downpicking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Alternate Picking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Pluck with Your Thumb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Mute Your Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
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Play Your First Scales
Basic Music Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Notes on the Fretboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Basic Tablature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
The C Major Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
The G Major Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
The F Major Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
chapter
Playing with Chords
What Makes a Chord? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Major Chords and Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Minor Scales and Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Seventh Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Arpeggios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
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Common Chord Progressions
Chord Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146

Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
I-IV-V Progressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
I-VI-IV-V Progressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
More Chord Progressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
10
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Basic Rhythms
The Metronome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

Quarter Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Eighth Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Sixteenth Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Apply Rhythms to Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
Walking Bass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Blues Shuffle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194
R&B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Reggae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202
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Slapping and Popping
Slapping Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206

Popping Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208
Some Basic Slap Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210
12
chapter
Getting Your Tone
How Should You Play? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

Playing in a Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Dialing It In on Active and Passive Bass Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228
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Buying a Bass Guitar and Amplifier
What to Look for in Your Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

What to Look for in Your Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
What Else Youll Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
14
chapter
Care for Your Gear
Before You Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252

After You Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
Change the Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
Intonation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261
String Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
Plug It In and Unplug It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
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Some Last Words
Where Do You Go from Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266

Learn Songs by Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269
Reading Music and Music Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
Appendix: Some Especially Noteworthy

Bassists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .272
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .282
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An Introduction
to Bass Guitar
This is where you learn what the bass guitar is and what it does. More
importantly, though, this is hopefully the beginning of many good times
playing and enjoying music. Lets get started!
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What the Bass Guitar Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Get Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Your Milestones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
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What the Bass

Guitar Does
Most of the popular music you hear today is built on the foundation of the bass guitar. It provides
the basic building blocks necessary to make a song, and it can also add just the right part here or
there to make some timeless music.
Elements of Bass Guitar Playing

Whether you listen to pop, rock, jazz, folk, funk, or most
other genres of music, chances are youve heard a bass guitar
in the mix somewhere. Since it was created and popularized
in the 1950s by Leo Fender, the bass guitar has become an
indispensable part of the music of today. Far from just being
a rhythm-section instrument, bassists from Sting to Bootsy
Collins to Victor Wooten have moved from the background
of the rhythm section to the forefront of popular music and
made sure that the bass guitar claims a central role in many
bands. When you become a good bassist, there will always
be a group waiting for you.
A good bass guitarist combines rhythm, harmony, and style
into a package that makes a song sing and a body want to
dance. Lets take a look at each of those elements.
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Rhythm
The first duty of the bass guitar is to keep the
rhythm. Keeping the pulse of a song is central
to your role as a bassist. Whether its a simple
country two-step or a complicated jazz-fusion
riff, the bass guitar always makes sure the
rhythm and tempo are clearly defined.
Most times, youll be playing along with the

kick drum of a drum set; however, you could
also be working together with the player of
a different rhythm instrument or just holding
the rhythm all by yourself. In any of these
cases, its vital that you keep the rhythm
and tempo of the song moving and clearly
defined. Check out Chapter 10 for more
information on common rhythms.
Everybody has rhythm. Its in the way that you walk or the way that you talk. All youre doing here is translating your natural
rhythm to the bass guitar. Relax and let it come to you as you practice.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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What the Bass

Guitar Does (continued)
Harmony
At the same time the bass guitar is keeping the rhythm, its also providing the basic harmony for the song. In most cases, the
bass note defines the key of the song and the chord the instruments are playing at any time in the song. Where the bass
leads, the others follow.
The notes you choose to play create the character of the song, so its important to learn as much as you can about what
makes a chord sound the way it does, and how to make your bass lines flow easily from one chord to the next. This
contributes greatly to making the song memorable and worth listening to. Look at chapters 8 and 9 for more information
on chords and harmony.
Remember, all songs are made up of melodies over a bed of rhythm and harmony. Other instruments build on what you
create and define.
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Style
When you can keep a rhythm and know the songs harmony, all thats left is to play the song with style. Style is a word thats
hard to define sometimes, but you always know when you hear it. You might hear it called swinging, rocking, or grooving,
but it always means that the bass guitar part is exactly where it should be: playing its role and making sure everything goes
smoothly.
Style might be the hardest part of the bass guitar to master, but the road to style is based on being comfortable and having fun.
The more you practice with your bass guitar and the more you listen to the bass guitars role in music, the more comfortable
youll be playing it. The more comfortable you are, the more fun youll have. When youre comfortable and having fun, the
style will naturally come to you.
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Get
Started
Its possible for you to play your first song the same day you get your first bass guitar and amplifier. With just a little time and effort, you can be on your way.
Some Basics
YOUR BASS GUITAR
YOUR AMPLIFIER
You dont need to buy an expensive instrument to start. A

good-quality starter model will help both your playing and
your budget. Chapter 13 tells you what to look for when
youre buying your first bass guitar.
Again, you dont need an expensive, six-foot-tall mountain

of speakers and circuits to get started. A small practice
amplifier enables you to hear your bass without irritating
your family or your neighbors. Chapter 13 also helps you
with choosing the right amp.
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THE ELEMENTS OF PLAYING A NOTE

Although it might take some time to fully master the tricks and intricacies of the bass guitar, the fundamental partsfretting a
note and plucking itare something you do the very first day. Add a couple more notes in the right rhythm, and youve got a
basic song ready to go.
Chapter 5 shows you more about fretting a note, whereas Chapter 6 teaches you how to pluck one. The metal strips on the
bass, called frets (youll read about frets in Chapter 2), help to keep your notes in tune. Get the basics of those chapters
down, and youre ready to go. The rest of the chapters add to your knowledge of the bass guitar and make you a well-rounded
player. Its best to start at the beginning of the book and follow the chapters in order, but you can always feel free to jump
back to other chapters for reference as you build skill and experience.
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Your
Milestones
Playing the bass guitar means learning
something new every day. The key is
making sure you keep learning. And
you keep learning by practicing.
Although learning the bass guitar
is a journey, it doesnt have to be a
race. Youll learn more by keeping a
steady pace than by going in fits and
starts. Its important to make time
every day to play the bass guitar in
a place where you have as few
distractions as possible.
Make Time for Practice
You dont have to devote every waking moment of your day to learning how to play the bass guitar. In the beginning, its
important to set a regular practice time and stick to it, even if its for only a brief time. Try setting aside 20 minutes at first
every day to go over the basics of the bass guitar. Pretty soon, you can expand it to half an hour spent warming up, reviewing
those basics, and learning new material. Pretty soon, you could be up to an hour or more of serious practice time. Your playing will improve with the more time you spend practicing; however, its important at first to get into the habit of practicing.
Habits are hard to break, but the creation of good habits will only help you get better.
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Find the Right Place

There are a couple of good reasons why
musicians are often banished to the garage
or basement to practice. One, sometimes
they can be a little loud. Two, and more
importantly, it gives them a space where
nothing is happening beyond the activity of
practicing. Just as its difficult to read
Shakespeare while the radio is on and the
television is blaring, its difficult to concentrate on practicing the bass guitar with other
things going on around you. Find a quiet,
comfortable place to practice, and youll see
that having fewer distractions means you
learn more quickly.
Notice the items in the picture. These are
essential items to your practice space:
A comfortable chair, preferably without

arms
A CD or mp3 player to listen to songs
or examples
A music stand to hold paper (or this
book) for easy viewing while playing
Finally, make sure your practice space is out of the way, so that people arent constantly coming through and distracting you.
You dont have to devote an entire room to practicing; your bedroom or living room will work. Just make sure that the only
thing happening in there at that designated time is you enjoying your bass guitar practice.
TIP
Practice should never be a boring chore. When
you practice, play what you like, set many goals,
and youll never get enough.
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Page 12

Bass guitars come in many shapes and sizes, and even have varying
numbers of strings. All of them have parts in common, however. This
chapter introduces you to each part and shows why it is a valuable
part of your new instrument. By the time youre done with this chapter,
youll have essential knowledge of how a bass guitar works.
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Parts of the Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

The Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Neck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Fretted and Fretless Basses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
The Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Bass Guitar Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Four Strings or More? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Right-handed versus Left-handed Basses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Passive and Active Pickups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Control Your Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
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Parts of the
Bass Guitar
Each part of the bass guitar plays an essential role in how the instrument sounds and feels when its
played.
Basic Parts
Each model and style of bass guitar might have different variations on these parts, giving each instrument an individual character. The only way to understand this is to play a wide variety
of instruments and pay close attention to how they sound.
Visit a musical-instrument store and try out as many basses
as you can to help your ear hear these differences.
Head
Still, the basic functions of each part are common across all
bass guitars. Each bass guitar includes the following parts:
The head
The body
Strings
The neck
The bridge
Strings
Neck
One or more pickups

Volume, tone, and other control knobs
All bass guitars have the first six parts and a variation of the
seventh part in the preceding list. Each configuration has
some advantages over the others. What you play and how
you sound depend on your personal preferences.
Pickups
Volume
Body
Bridge
14
Tone
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The Head
chapter
At one end of the bass guitar is the

head (or headstock). The shape of the
head can vary wildly from one manufacturer to another; however, they all
provide one important function. The
head holds the tuning gears of the
bass, which are used to tune the
strings to the correct pitch.
Parts of the Head

The tuning gears are turned to the left or right to raise or lower the pitch.
They can appear all on one side of the head, or they can be placed on
both sides of the head.
The head of the bass meets the neck at the nut, a piece of plastic, bone,
or similar material that supports the strings, spaces them correctly, and
starts the portion of the bass guitars neck where notes are played.
Nut
The tuning gears can be either open (where the gear itself is exposed) as
in the photo or closed (where the gear is covered).
Open gear
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The Body
The body accounts for the bulk of the
bass guitars weight. It also can come
in many different shapes and sizes,
depending on the bass guitars manufacturer. In fact, some companies
have trademark shapes that are recognizable on sight.
Body Details
COLOR AND MATERIALS
Depending on the wood used to make the
body, it can make the tone sound anywhere
from dark and woody to bright and snappy.
It also provides the mounting surface for all
of the other bass guitar parts, including the
neck, bridge, and pickups.
The one part of the body that doesnt make
that much difference to the bass guitars
tone is the color. There are many beautiful
finishes and colors available for your instrument; however, you should use your ears
first in choosing an instrument.
The type of finish, however, can potentially
make a difference in the instruments sound.
Most starter bass guitars have a polyurethane
finish, although some higher-priced instruments have a lacquer or oil-based finish. No
one finish is necessarily better than the others, and oil-based finishes often require
more maintenance. Play several examples and see which one works best for you.
SHAPES AND SIZES

The shape of a bass guitar doesnt necessarily change the tone of the bass guitar, although it is an important factor in your
comfort while playing. Several manufacturers have shapes traditionally associated with them, but its up to you to determine
which one works best for you. The size of a bass guitar can make a difference in the instruments sound, as heavier instruments tend to resonate more than smaller ones, and make the notes ring longer. It can also affect how you play, as a heavier
instrument may cause you fatigue and pain while playing. Take some time with each instrument and get a feel for its shape
and weight before you buy.
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THE PICKGUARD
Some bass guitar bodies have a piece of plastic near where the neck joins
the body. This pickguard prevents excess wear or scratches to the body
where people most often pluck the strings. Its not included on all bass
guitar bodies; however, it can be helpful if youre playing an especially
heavy type of music, such as punk or metal.
Pickguard
TIP
Be Comfortable!
Make sure your bass guitars body is compatible with yours. Strange
shapes or extremely heavy weights might make it difficult for you
to play, so its a good idea to stick to more traditional bodies when
youre starting out.
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The Neck
The neck of the bass is where the
bassist actually chooses the notes
being played. Most bass guitars
have necks made of wood, although
materials from aluminum to graphite
have been used as well. The back of
the neck is usually rounded; however,
you might also encounter flattened
or V-shaped necks as well.
Neck Details
THE TRUSS ROD
The neck material itself must be strong
enough to hold steady against the tension
the strings create. In some cases, the
wood may also have supports built in to
keep it straight. A truss rod is essentially a
large screw placed in the neck to allow
more control over the straightness of the
neck. The truss rod opening can be found
either at the top or the bottom of the
neck.
TIP
Dont Touch!
Only a qualified bass guitar technician should alter the truss rod
of your instrument.
18
Truss rod
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THE FINGERBOARD
The fingerboard of the neck is where your fingers and the
strings actually meet the neck of the bass. The fingerboard is
usually made of a different type of wood than the neck itself,
based more on the tone the builder wants the bass to have.
TYPES OF FINGERBOARD WOOD

The two common types of wood are rosewood, which gives the bass a darker tone, and maple, which yields a brighter sound.
Other exotic choices include ebony, pau ferro (commonly found in rain forests), and synthetic materials such as phenolic (a
hard and durable resin). Some manufacturers inlay different-colored materials, like plastic or mother of pearl, at certain
places on the fingerboard as position markersvisual cues to help players find notes.
A maple fingerboard.
A rosewood fingerboard.
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Fretted and
Fretless Basses
There are two types of basses: those
with fretted necks and those with fretless necks. Each have their own tonal
properties that makes them valuable
additions to your playing. This section
discusses the difference between fretted and fretless bass guitars.
Types of Necks
FRETTED NECKS
The vast majority of starter bass guitars have fretted necks.
Frets are metal strips or bands placed in the fingerboard. Each
fret represents a note. When you hold down a string at a fret
on the neck, the bass plays that note when plucked. The frets
make sure that each note is the correct pitch when played.
Some bass guitars have fretless necks, where there are no
frets in the fingerboard. Its more difficult to play correct
pitches on these necks; however, fretless basses have a distinct sound, sometimes described as mwah.
FRETLESS NECKS
Fretless necks come in two forms: lined and unlined. A lined
fingerboard has lines drawn across it where the frets normally
would be. By pressing down on the strings on those lines, the
correct notes sound. Unlined fingerboards (as shown) look
like the necks you might find on orchestral instruments such
as the violin or cello. Only a trained ear and muscle memory
will help you play in tune on unlined fingerboards.
For beginners, its best to start on fretted instruments and
try to tackle the fretless bass when you have a little more
experience.
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The Bridge
chapter
The bridge holds the strings to the

body and plays an important role in
keeping the strings in tune. It also
helps set the level or height of the
strings above the neck.
Bridge Details
The main function of the bridge is to anchor the strings to the body of the bass guitar. Additional screws and gears set the
string height and the intonation of the bass guitar. By moving the bridge saddles, or the place where each string touches the
bridge, a bass guitar technician can set the correct length between the nut and the bridge. That string length ensures that
when the bass guitar is tuned, each note on the neck is correct.
Most bridges are made of metal. Some bass guitars have larger bridges with more metal, which increases the sustain, or the
amount of time a note sounds when played.
Saddle
TIP
Cross That Bridge Later!
The bridge has several controls that require minute adjustments and
attention to detail. Its better to leave these controls to the professionals.
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Bass Guitar
Strings
Bass guitar strings are fairly self-explanatory. The strings run from the head to the bridge, over the
neck and the body. By holding a string down on the neck and plucking the string over the body,
you play a note.
String Types
Bass guitar strings come in two main varieties:
roundwound and flatwound. Roundwound
strings are more common. Up close, they look
like small, tightly coiled springs. Roundwounds
are noted for their brighter, more sparkling
tone. Flatwounds are flat on top, just as the
name implies. Their tone is darker.
Roundwound
There is a dizzying variety of strings available,
each promising to do a different thing better
than the rest. Some even come in different
colors or coated with special polymers or
wound with tape. Let your ears tell you which
ones to use. Roundwounds are usually more
suited to most modern musicrock and other
louder styleswhereas flatwounds
might appeal more to jazz or classic R&B fans.
Flatwound
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Four Strings
or More?
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The original bass guitar came with four strings, just like the upright bass it was intended to sound
like. As the instrument found its own unique identity, players and builders came up with the idea
to put more strings on it. All of the examples in this book feature the 4-string bass because its the
most common model. Later, you can apply all the techniques you learn to the other strings.
More Than Four Strings
5-STRING BASS
The most common extended-range bass is the 5-string bass guitar (see
photo). This adds a lower string to the normal bass guitar setup, allowing the
bass guitar to play notes once reserved for the low end of the keyboard.
Although the 5-string bass originally played the same role as bass parts played
on keyboards in pop music during the 1980s, its lower notes also found popularity with modern metal players who sought lower, heavier sounds.
6-STRING BASS
Although not shown, another variety of bass guitar is the 6-string bass. It has as
many strings as a normal guitar, but the extended upper and lower strings are
tuned differently. Also, the extremely wide neck doesnt lend itself to playing
chords very easily. This type of bass is preferred by soloists or jazz players looking for additional room to improvise.
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Right-handed versus
Left-handed Basses
Just like many players are right-handed, the majority of bass guitars are built right-handed. That
means the left hand is on the neck while the right hand is on the body.
Righties versus Lefties
However, some basses are built
in the reverse direction, or lefthanded. In this case, the right
hand holds the neck while the
left hand rests on the body.
Some players might find
that a left-handed bass feels
more natural, and the examples
in this book apply either way. I
use the phrases fretting hand
and plucking hand to avoid
confusion. Still, you might find
it easier to learn by playing
right-handed. Give it a shot,
and switch if its giving you too
many problems.
Right-handed bass
24
Left-handed bass
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Passive and
Active Pickups
chapter
Think of the pickups on a bass as being like microphones. They hear and amplify the sound of the
note produced by the bass guitar. The vibration of the string makes magnets in the pickup vibrate,
creating an electrical signal that passes though the bass guitar to an amplifier.
Passive versus Active Pickups
Bass guitars can have one or more pickups, placed at various locations on the body. Each type is known for its different tone;
however, they all fall into two main categories.
PASSIVE PICKUPS
These pickups are wired directly to the bass
guitars output jack and contain only basic
controls, such as volume and tone. These are
found on most older and classic bass guitars.
Passive pickups provide a sound true to the
materials of the bass guitar, and some players
prefer them to active pickups because of the
warmer, more traditional sound they produce
and their simple operations.
ACTIVE PICKUPS
These pickups are usually powered by a
battery and include additional tone controls,
much like the equalizer on your home stereo.
These are usually louder than passive pickups,
but you have to remember to change the
battery.
Active pickups deliver more of a hi-fi sound,
with access to a wider tonal spectrum than do
passive pickups.
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Control Your
Bass Guitar
Depending on how many pickups your
bass guitar has and whether theyre
active or passive, youll have a variety
of knobs and switches to learn.
Bass Guitar Controls

THE OUTPUT JACK
The one thing all basses have is the output jack. The output jack is where
you plug in the cable that runs between your bass guitar and your amplifier. Its typically mounted on the body or the pickguard of the bass guitar.
Note: Output jacks can suffer from the stress of having a cord pulled too hard.
Outputs mounted on the body or a metal pickguard are more stable than ones
mounted on a plastic pickguard.
THE VOLUME KNOB

This knob controls the amount of volume the bass guitar puts out. Some
bass guitars have only one volume control, whereas others have a separate volume knob for each pickup. This lets you blend the amount of volume from each pickup for different tone combinations.
26
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THE TONE KNOB

This knob is found on passive bass guitars. It controls the amount of high
frequencies sent to the amplifier. Keeping it all the way up makes the
sound brighter, whereas turning it down gives it a deeper, darker quality.
EQ KNOBS
EQ (short for equalization) knobs are found on bass guitars with active
pickups. Most EQ controls come with three different knobs: one for
high frequencies, one for middle-range frequencies, and one for low
frequencies.
EQ knobs
PICKUP KNOBS AND SWITCHES

Bass guitars can also include knobs or switches that control which pickups
are active. Switches move back and forth and turn pickups on or off.
Different combinations of pickups produce different tones. Combinations
of pickups can also be controlled by blend knobs. At the middle position,
both pickups are on equally. Turning the knob one way brings in one
pickup more, whereas turning it the other way increases the other pickup.
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Page 28

Before you can build a solid house, you have to start with a good foundation. Learning how to hold and play your bass guitar is the foundation youll need to become a solid musician. This is where you start.
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The Guitar Strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Sitting or Standing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Your Fretting Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Fingerstyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Playing with a Pick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Using Your Thumb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
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The Guitar
Strap
Whether youre going to be playing
sitting or standing, a guitar strap can
help you maintain a good playing
position and keep the instrument in
the right place.
How to Attach the Strap

In most cases, the strap attaches to buttons on the back and
the top horn of the bass guitar body. Different or extreme guitar body shapes could have different fastening areas. In this
case, the strap is usually attached to the base of the neck and
the back of the body. Either way works fine, as long as the buttons are solidly anchored to the body.
Some bass guitars also come with locking mechanisms that
attach to the strap and lock to custom buttons on the bass
guitar. You can buy these and attach them yourself as well.
TIP
Work Wood Wisely!
Be careful if youre removing screws from your
bass guitar. If you strip the screw or the hole,
itll be difficult to get the screw to mount back
in place once youre done.
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Strap Details
HOW TO CHOOSE A STRAP
Choosing a strap is a matter of function and decoration. There are many
custom guitar straps available in all manner of materials, from thin leather
to thick, padded nylon mesh. If you have a particularly heavy bass guitar, it
might be a good idea to invest in a wider, padded strap to help ease the
weight and strain on your back. If this isnt a problem, let your imagination
run wild.
HOW TO WEAR A STRAP

The guitar strap should go over the shoulder of your fretting arm (left, for
most people). You should then adjust the strap so that its tight around
your body, but not too tight. As you get more comfortable playing both
seated and standing, youll learn which strap length is right for you.
TIP
Change It!
Changing the strap length between sitting and standing helps you keep your
bass guitar at the right position.
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Sitting or
Standing?
Before you can play bass guitar, every part of your body must be comfortable and relaxed. Whether
youve taken a seat or are standing on stage, your hands and arms must be able to move around the
bass guitar easily and without undue stress. Make sure your wrists are straight at all times. This will
help you not only move around the guitar easier, but also avoid stress and pain down the road.
The Sitting Position
Lets start with the proper sitting position to play bass guitar:
1 Make sure youre sitting on a chair or bench without arms. That way, you can hold the bass guitar in the proper position without
hitting any part of the furniture.
2 You can either keep both feet flat on the floor or cross your legs, depending on your comfort level.
3 Rest the body of the bass guitar on your right leg (left leg if youre playing left-handed).
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4 Keep the fretboard at a 90-degree angle to the floor or slightly inclined toward your body.
5 Put your right arm over the body of the bass, with your right hand near the strings.
6 Hold the neck with your left hand near the head.
TIP
Take a Break!
If you notice any pain or stress in your fingers while youre playing, take a break and
shake it off. Its important that you dont
hurt yourself during the learning process.
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(continued)
YOUR BASS MIGHT AFFECT YOUR POSITION

Depending on the shape of your bass guitar, you might have to alter this position slightly. The more conventional body types
have indentions in the body that allow you to comfortably rest the instrument on your leg. Extreme custom shapes or a flat
bottom might cause problems with balance.
Additionally, an extremely heavy head might cause the bass guitar to dip. Again, slight adjustments are okay, but its important to maintain the basic form so that your arms and hands have easy access to the strings.
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THE SITTING ARM AND WRIST POSITION

You should always keep your wrists straight in the seated position. See how you should hold your arms to keep your wrists in
the proper position. Your fretting hand wrist should be as straight as possible with your arm (as seen in the top photo on this
page), as should your right wrist (as seen in the bottom photo). Your goal should be to keep your wrists as straight as possible
to allow a full range of motion without cramping or hurting your hands.
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Sitting or
Standing?
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(continued)
The Standing Position

The guitar strap mentioned earlier is an important part of playing while standing. The strap should take all of the weight of
the bass guitar, leaving your hands free to move without supporting the instrument. It should also be positioned high enough
so that you can keep your wrists straight while playing. The top photo shows the proper standing position. The bottom photo
shows an improper standing position.
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The Standing Arm and Wrist Position

Notice how the only part of the arms that are bent are the elbows. Every other joint, especially the wrists, should be straight.
Make sure you keep your strap high enough to properly position your hands and arms. Avoid keeping the bass so low that
your wrists bend awkwardly. This creates unnecessary stress and could lead to problems down the road. Your fretting hand
elbow should be pointing towards the floor, while your plucking hand elbow should be pointed off to the side.
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Your Fretting
Hand
Fretting is the act of holding down a
note on the neck of the bass guitar;
thus, your fretting hand is the one that
holds down the notes. This most likely
is your left hand, although some players using left-handed basses use their
right hand. To avoid confusion, well
use the term fretting hand throughout this book.
Thumb Placement
Although it never touches the strings,
your thumb is an important part of moving your hand around and shifting over
the strings. It acts almost like a pivot or a
hinge, keeping its place while the fingers
move around its support (a).
Youll be tempted at several points during

your playing to hook your thumb over the
neck of the bass guitar (b). This makes it
more difficult to properly fret notes with
your fingers. Be sure to always keep your
thumb on the back of the neck. Your playing and range of motion benefit greatly
from proper placement.
1 Position your thumb flat on the back of

the neck.
2 Make sure your wrist remains straight.

3 Try moving your fingers over the strings
without actually holding any down. First
pivot your hand to your left (a) while
keeping your thumb in place, and then
move it to the right (b). Get used to the
feeling of your hand moving around
the fulcrum of your thumb.
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Hand Placement
Now that youve got your thumb anchored on the back of the neck, lets
look at the fingers on the front of the neck. When you first start playing,
make sure that the fingers fall on the neck with the thumb between the
middle and ring fingers.
Again, move your hand around with the

thumb in its proper place, but concentrate
on your fingers this time. Notice the
amount of space your hand can cover in
this position.
Now try moving your hand up and down

from the lowest string to the highest
string, again keeping your thumb placed
on the back of the neck.
This method allows you a great deal of
motion around the neck without moving
your hand too much. This eventually gives
you a smooth and natural feel in your
playing.
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Your Fretting
Hand (continued)
Your Fingers
Now that your hand and thumb are in the
right place, take a look at your fingers.
When youre fretting a note, your finger
should be slightly curved, and only the tip
of your finger should be touching the
string.
It might hurt a little bit at first, but eventually youll build up calluses that will eliminate the pain.
1 Slightly curve your index finger, as shown

in the photo.
2 Place the tip of your finger directly
Correct placement of index finger
behind the fret of the note youre going

to play.
3 Press down on the note using only the

pad of your finger.
Again, its going to seem easier at first to
just curl your hand around the neck of the
bass. This prevents you from moving your
hand quickly around the neck, causing
problems with your playing. It could also
make it more difficult to keep your wrist
straight. Both of these photos show an
incorrect playing style.
Incorrect placement of index finger
TIP
Off the Top!
Do not try to hold down the note directly on
top of the fret. Youll hear some buzzing, and
its more likely that your finger will slip off.
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As you practice fretting notes, try to do it with each of your fingers. Yes, youll even practice with your pinky finger. All of your
fingers play an equal role when it comes to fretting notes. You might have some difficulty at first because your fingers will be
unused to the positioning and strength necessary to hold down a note. Again, this is something that goes away as you build
strength and calluses on your fingers. Practice each finger individually, keeping in mind the correct playing position:
1
2
3
4
5
Keep your wrist straight.

Keep your thumb solidly in the middle of the neck.
Keep your fingers slightly curved.
Press down only with the tips of your fingers.
Press down on the string directly behind the fret of the note you want to play.
Correct middle finger placement
Correct ring finger placement
Correct pinky finger placement
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Fingerstyle
The preceding section dealt with your
fretting hand, so lets take a look at
your plucking hand. You might also
hear it called your picking hand,
depending on the style you use to
actually cause the note to sound. This
chapter introduces you to the fingerstyle method of plucking the strings.
Plucking
As opposed to a guitar, where the player strums the strings, a bassist is
more likely to pluck the strings one at a time, using an upward motion.
The most common way to do this involves the index and middle fingers.
1 Extend the index and middle fingers on your plucking hand.

2 Fold your ring and pinky fingers into your palm. If that doesnt feel comfortable, you can let your fingers hang down, but keep them out of the way of
the strings.
3 Place your index and middle fingers over the strings, perpendicular to the
length of the strings. Its a good idea to anchor your thumb on the body of
the bass, a pickup, or the E string when its not being played.
4 Rest only the pads of your index and middle fingers on the strings. If you
place more than that on the strings, it can keep the notes from ringing.
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5 Pluck a string softly using the pad of your index finger, making a note. Let
your plucking finger come to rest on the next string down.
6 Now pluck a string with the pad of your middle finger, making a note.
This is another instance in which building up your calluses helps. You
want to pluck with enough force to make a note, but not so hard that you
cause loud buzzing or clacking. Eventually, youll learn the proper amount
of force to use to play in every situation, from quiet passages to loud,
aggressive rock.
Some players also include their ring and pinky fingers in the plucking
motion, but its best to master using your index and middle fingers first
before moving on.
Alternating Your Fingers

Once youve learned how to pluck with
both your index and middle fingers, its
time to alternate them. This method of
plucking enables you to play a note and
have the next finger ready to pluck. This
means youll be able to increase the
speed at which you can play. Ultimately,
youll want to make both fingers sound
strong and clear.
I talk more in depth about fingerstyle
playing in Chapter 6; however, the important thing to get used to now is the feeling of plucking the strings with your
fingers. Although some players use a pick,
finger plucking is the most common way
to play bass guitar.
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Playing with
a Pick
This is one playing style that is common to both guitar and bass guitar.
A pick or plectrum is a small piece of
plastic, metal, or other material held
in the hand and used to strike the
string of the bass guitar. This produces a harder sound than fingerstyle,
so its often favored by louder or more
aggressive styles of music, such as hard
rock, metal, or punk.
Pick Types and Instruction

If youve played guitar before, you might have played with a thin pick
made for strumming smaller strings. For bass strings, youll find that
thicker picks produce clearer tones and react better to the larger strings.
Thinner picks dont have the strength to play easily on bass strings.
Thick pick
Follow these steps to pick a downstroke

on a bass guitar:
1 Hold the pick between your index finger

and your thumb.
2 Place the tip of the pick just over the

string you want to play.
3 Bring the pick down and strike the string.

Use your wrist to start the picking
motion, not your fingers.
4 Follow through with the pick, stopping

before you hit the next string.
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Types of Picking
There are two main types of picking on the bass guitar, alternate picking
(shown in top photo) and downpicking (shown in bottom photo).
ALTERNATE PICKING
Alternate picking involves the use of an upstroke following the downstroke described earlier in this section. Just bring your pick up using your
wrist and strike the string again.
DOWNPICKING
This involves the use of only down strokes. Instead of hitting the string on
the way back up, you just bring the pick up and play another downstroke.
Although this isnt the fastest way to play at the beginning, some players
favor it because they believe the downstroke produces a richer, harder,
and potentially a more even tone. With practice, some players can downpick as fast as alternate pickers.
TIP
Try It Both Ways
There are advantages to both fingerstyle and
pick-playing techniques. Youll probably find
you favor one over the other eventually, but
give both a chance and youll have more
tonal options available when you play.
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Using Your
Thumb
Playing with Your Thumb
There are two styles of creating notes using the thumb on your plucking hand. The first involves using your thumb much like
a pick. Players using this technique often want a deeper, warmer tone than they usually get using their fingers or a pick. This
can be especially helpful in styles such as folk or country music, where the bass guitar is expected to provide a solid bass
note and not much else.
Some older bass guitars actually have small bars at the bottom of the body to place your fingers on while you use your
thumb to pluck notes. If you dont have one of these, just rest the tips of your fingers on the body just after the last string. Be
sure you dont touch the strings themselvesyou want to let the notes ring.
1
2
3
4
5
Place your thumb on the string youre going to play.

Bring your thumb down to strike the string.
Continue the motion as your thumb slides over the string to produce the note.
Put your thumb on the same string or the string youre going to play next.
Continue this motion throughout the song.
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For a slightly muted sound, you can also try this motion at the back of the
body while resting your palm on the bridge of the bass guitar.
This placement tends to keep the notes from ringing out as long. In some
cases, such as a traditional country song with a strong emphasis on a
two-beat feel, deadening the notes more quickly puts more space
between notes, giving the song more room to breathe. As you move your
palm farther up the strings, you use a technique called palm muting. Palm
muting gives the note a more thumping tone with less length. Its also
useful to help simulate a sound similar to synthesized keyboard bass, giving the notes a low thump.
When somebody in the group yells Break it down!, that might be a good
time to use this technique.
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Using Your
Thumb (continued)
Slapping and popping, or just slap bass, is one of the most unique ways to play the bass guitar.
Invented by Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham in the 70s and made popular by
bassists ranging from Bootsy Collins to Flea and Victor Wooten, slapping is a high-energy and
extremely noticeable technique for playing both rhythm and solo parts.
HOW TO SLAP
The trick is to know exactly when to do it. Because it is so high-energy, it might sound out of place in a slow ballad or folk
song. Slapping usually takes place in funk or pop tunes, although it has made its presence felt in rock and metal to an extent.
Slapping is very descriptive of the actual technique. The player slaps the string with the thumb, causing a loud strike. The popping comes from looping your index finger under a string and pulling it up, causing the note to sound with a snapping tone.
Needless to say, this is a very physical style of playing.
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1 Stick your thumb out, in a hitchhiking motion.

2 Curl your other fingers into your palm, except for the index
finger.
3 Place your thumb over the string youre going to play.

4 Using your wrist, bring your thumb down on the string.
5 Twist your wrist to bring your thumb back quickly, like you
were using a doorknob.
Slapping is a percussive attack, like a drumstick hitting a drum.
Keep that motion in mind as you play.
HOW TO POP
1 To pop the string, loop your index finger under a string.

2 Pull the string up slightly with your index finger.
3 Release the string from your first finger, causing the string to
snap back against the neck and body.
Be careful when youre starting out with this technique. Its

easy to break the strings by pulling or hitting them too hard.
The trick is to use just enough power to get the sound without causing a lot of damage to the strings. Theyre more
resilient than you might think, though.
I cover more slapping in Chapter 11. Until then, practice the

basics for this technique, but use fingerstyle and picking for
the examples you see later in the book. Youll probably end
up using those playing styles more, anyway, as they are more
commonly what people look for in a supportive bass player.
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Page 50

Before playing, youve got to make sure everything will sound right.
Tuning your bass guitar means adjusting the basic pitch of the strings
correctly so that every note will be correct and in tune. Not only will the
bass guitar be tuned correctly to itself, but youll be able to play in tune
with other instruments, such as guitars or keyboards.
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Open-String Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Relative Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Electronic Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
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Open-String
Notes
When you play a string without fretting a note, this is called an open note
or string. Each string is tuned to a
specific notefrom lowest pitch to
highest pitch, the strings are tuned to
the notes E, A, D, and G. Physically,
the string closest to your face is the E
string, and the pitches get higher as
you move towards the strings closer to
the ground.
Tune with the Gears

You use the tuning gears on the head of the bass guitar to tighten or
loosen the strings and bring them to the correct pitch. When a string is
out of tune, its either sharp (the note is too high) or flat (the note is
too low). Tightening up the string causes the note to move up, whereas
loosening it causes it to go down.
In most cases, if the tuning gears are on

the top of the head (a), turning the tuning
gears clockwise tunes them up by tightening the strings. Turning them counterclockwise tunes the strings down by
loosening them.
If some or all of the tuning gears are on
the bottom of the head (b), meaning they
point at the ground, the opposite is true
for the bottom tuning gears. Turning them
clockwise tunes the strings down (loosening them) and turning them counterclockwise tunes the strings up (tightening
them).
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Methods of Tuning
Two methods are used to get your bass guitar into tune. You
can either tune each string to another instrument, such as a
keyboard or an electronic tuner; or you can tune one string of
the bass guitar and then tune the remaining strings to it. The
latter method is called relative tuning and is discussed on the
following page.
In any case, its vital that you tune the bass guitar every time
before you play. When youre first developing your ear for playing a new instrument, you need to make sure that youre hearing everything accurately. Practicing out of tune only reinforces
bad tones and bad habits.
Although you should tune every time before you play, you
shouldnt have to tune up much more than that. If your bass
guitar wont stay in tune, try changing the strings. Older strings
are often too fatigued to hold their tune. (I talk more about
changing strings in Chapter 14.) If this continues, you might
have to have a repair specialist (often called a luthier) examine the tuning gears and bridge.
Also, make sure that you never tune the strings on your bass
guitar too high for long periods of time. This can put too much
strain on both the string and the neck, resulting in a bent or
twisted neck.
TIP
Moving On Up!
Its always a good idea to tune up to the note, rather than tune down to the notethat
is, tightening the string to reach the correct pitch as opposed to loosening it. This helps
the gears grip the string, making sure it stays in pitch longer. If your string is sharp,
tune down to below the note and then tune up to the correct pitch.
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Relative
Tuning
Take a look at relative tuning, or tuning the strings on your bass guitar to one common string. This
is a quick and easy way to get every string in tune with the others. The key here is to make sure that
you tune one string first, and then tune all of the other strings in relation to it. The tuning for the
original string should stay in place.
How to Tune Using Relative Pitch

You can tune any string on the bass guitar first and use it as your reference pitch; however, a common choice is tuning the A string first. A is the
note that large ensembles usually tune to, and its often available as a reference pitch on other electronic devices such as a metronome.
To tune a bass guitar using relative pitch, perform the following steps:
1 Match the pitch of the A string on the bass guitar to an A on an external

source, such as a keyboard or the reference tone on a tuner. If the strings
pitch is below this external pitch, tune it up. If the string is too high, loosen
it to below the external pitch and then tune it up.
2 Hold the E string down on the 5th fret (see photo). This should be the same
pitch as the A string.
3 Play the E string with the note held down and the A string at the same time.
If the E string sounds lower than the A string, tune it up to match the A
strings pitch. If the E string is too high, tune it below the A string and then
bring it up to tune.
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4 Hold down the 5th fret on the A string (see photo). This should be the same
pitch as the open D string just above it.
5 Play the A string with the note held down and the D string at the same time.
This time, however, youre tuning the open D string and not the A string. If
the D string sounds lower than the A string, tune it up to match the A strings
pitch. If the D string is too high, tune it below the A string and then bring it
up to tune.
6 When youre sure those strings are in tune, hold down the 5th fret on the
D string (see photo). This should be the same pitch as the open G string.
7 Play the D string with the note held down and the open G string at the same
time. If the open G string sounds lower than the D string, tune it up to match
the D strings pitch. If the G string is too high, tune it below the D string
and then bring it up to tune.
By the time youre finished with this, your bass guitar will be in tune. This
example also brings up a useful fact about the bass guitar: In standard
tuning, the 5th fret on the string is always the same pitch as the open
string just above it. Keep this in mind because it will be useful later in
the book.
FAQ
How can I tell if my bass guitar is out of tune?
Strings that are dramatically out of tune will be obvious to your ear; however, closer pitches can
sometimes be confusing. You might hear a beating sound or a rhythmic pulse when you play
two of the same notes together that arent in tune with one another. The effect youre hearing is
the vibrations of the strings interfering with each other.
The trick here is to tune so that the pulse slows to a stop. Turn the tuning gears slowly until the
beating sound slows down, then goes away.
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Electronic
Tuning
An electronic tuner is valuable for several reasons. First, because you can usually connect a bass
guitar directly to an electronic tuner, you can tune up in louder situations in which you might not
be able to hear everything correctly (such as when all of your bandmates are tuning up at the same
time). You can also tune silently, without bothering anybody else with the noise. Finally, whether
you connect directly to the tuner or the tuner uses a small microphone to hear your pitch, you
wont need an outside, or external, pitch to tune to. The electronic tuner takes care of it all.
How to Tune with an Electronic Tuner
Some tuners are small, handheld models
that can pick up both ambient sound
and direct connections to the bass guitar
(see a). Tuner pedals (see b) accept only
direct connections, but also mute the
signal so that nobody can hear you tune
a considerate move for your audience.
Finally, rackmount tuners reside in the
same enclosure as your amplifier for
ease of transport.
Note: Most electronic tuners display not only
the notes of the open string, but also some
kind of visual representation to show how far
above or below the correct pitch the string is.
This helps you see where the strings pitch is
and whether you need to tune up or down.
Hand-held tuner
To tune the bass guitar using an electronic tuner, perform the following
steps:
1 Connect the tuner to your bass guitar with a cable, or put the tuner next to
the bass guitar amplifier.
2 Turn the tuner on.

3 Play the E string on the bass guitar and look at the readout on the tuner.
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Tuner pedal
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4 If the readout shows the string as being too low, or flat, tune the E string up.
Keep plucking the string as you tune. Notice how the readout changes as
you tune it up.
5 If the E string is too high, or sharp, tune the E string to below the correct
pitch and tune up. Follow step 4 from here.
6 Repeat these steps for each of the other strings.

7 When everything is in tune, go back and play each of the strings again,
checking their tuning one last time. Tuning other strings might have thrown
something off slightly. If a string does need retuning, it should just be by a
small amount.
TIP
Electronic or Relative Tuning?
Although its handy to have an electronic tuner around, its a good idea to learn how to tune your
bass guitar by ear using relative tuning as well. Not only does it get your ear used to hearing the
correct pitches for each string, but it also helps you tune to other instruments or deal with the situation of a dead battery in your tuner. It happens to everybody at some point.
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Page 58

This chapter helps you build the finger independence and strength necessary to play in all positions along the fingerboard. Youll learn how to
properly fret a note with each finger on your hand and how to move
your fingers up and down the neck quickly and easily. Youll also learn
how to keep your hand in the proper position to play the notes more
quickly without your fingers leaving the fretboard.
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Proper Finger Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Shift Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Shift Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Shift Across . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Stay Close to the Fingerboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
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Proper Finger
Placement
Proper finger placement means that you can easily and swiftly reach any position on the fretboard
with a minimum of time and effort. You want to give yourself the opportunity to play whatever you
need, whenever you need, without having to shift your hand too much. Proper placement will help
you do this.
Before You Play
REMEMBER: ONE FINGER PER
FRET
You already saw the proper way to fret a
note, or hold down a note on the neck,
in Chapter 3. So you know that you
need to hold down the note just behind
the fret with the tip of your finger, keeping the finger itself slightly curved. You
also know that youre supposed to use
every finger on your fretting hand to
play notes, including the pinky.
This is the introduction to a very important concept: using one finger per fret.
This allows you to cover the maximum
amount of notes with your fretting hand
without having to shift your hand up or
down the neck. This will help your playing be more even and consistent.
WARM UP
Before beginning the exercises in this
chapter (or before any extended playing, really), its a good idea to warm up your hands. Just like a runner stretches his or her legs before going for a jog to prevent cramps, you need to exercise your fingers before you get down to business to prevent cramping or straining.
A common first step is just to shake your hands for a minute or two. This gets the blood flowing and loosens up your muscles. You can also close and open your fingers into a fist repeatedly for a few minutes. Dont squeeze too tightly, but keep the
fingers moving. Finally, when you do start playing, start slowly and work your way up to higher speeds. Ill talk more about
using a metronome for precise times in Chapter 10. For now, though, just remember to play each note slowly and deliberately at first, and speed up gradually as you go along and get more comfortable.
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Finger Exercises
Here are some exercises to help you build the strength in your fingers and
make them more independent.
1 Using your index finger, hold down the 5th fret on the E string (see photo).
Again, this note is an A.
2 Pluck the note and let the A ring.
3 Using your middle finger, fret the 6th fret on the E string (see photo). This
note is a B flat.
4 Pluck the note and let the B flat ring.

5 Remove your middle finger from the B flat, leaving your index finger
on the A.
6 Repeat this process several more times until you become comfortable with
the process and each note rings clearly, without any buzzing.
Notice how you never remove your index finger from the A the entire time.
Fretting the B flat means you wont hear the A, but keeping your finger
there means youre prepared to play that A much more easily.
Now, try the same thing with your index and ring fingers.
1 Hold down the A on the E string with your index finger.

3 Keeping your index finger in place, hold down the 7th fret on the E string
with your ring finger (see photo). This note is a B.
4 Pluck the note and let the B ring.

5 Remove your middle finger from the B, leaving your index finger on the A.
6 Repeat this process several more times until you become comfortable with
the process and each note rings clearly, without any buzzing.
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Proper Finger
Placement (continued)
You might feel some strain in your left hand with the last exercise. Your fingers are required to make a little more of a stretch
with the following exercise, which works on the pinky finger. It might feel the most unnatural of all the finger exercises presented here, just because you dont use your pinky independently of your other fingers that often. The pinky needs to hold its
own in playing notes, though, so make sure you train it right.
1 Hold down the A on the E string with

your index finger.

3 Using your pinky finger, fret the 8th fret
on the E string (see photo). This note is
a C.
4 Pluck the note and let the C ring.

5 Remove your middle finger from the C,
leaving your index finger on the A.
6 Repeat this process several more times

until you become comfortable with the
process and each note rings clearly,
without any buzzing.
Youll probably feel some strain with this exercise initially, and you might not be able to hold down the A and the C at the
same time as you did in the earlier examples. Thats okay; it will take some time to get your fingers used to performing this
action. The important thing is to keep trying to make the stretch as you go on. Even if it doesnt happen immediately, it will
happen.
TIP
Warming Up
Start each of these exercises slowly to warm
up. Your fingers will loosen up and move
easier, and youll find that you can play better as you go along. Slight finger stretching
and wiggling will also assist your warm ups.
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You can add some more fingers to the exercises. Remember to keep your fingers down unless you have to lift them to let the
next note play.
1 Hold down the A on the E string with

your index finger.

3 Hold down the B flat on the E string
with your middle finger.
4 Pluck the note and let the B flat ring.

5 Hold down the B on the E string with
your ring finger.
6 Pluck the note and let the B ring.

7 Hold down the C on the E string with
your pinky finger (see photo).
Remember to meanwhile continue
holding down A, B flat, and B.
8 Pluck the note and let the C ring.

9 Lift your pinky finger and pluck the B.
Let the note ring.
0 Lift your ring finger and pluck the B

flat. Let the note ring.
! Lift your middle finger and pluck the A. Let the note ring.
@ Repeat this process several more times until you become comfortable with the process and each note rings clearly, without any
buzzing.
Again, dont worry if you cant make these stretches immediately. Theyll come to you with practice.
Thats also the reason this exercise is located toward the middle of the neck, so that you wont get discouraged by trying
these stretches on the lower notes, where theres more space between frets. As you get more comfortable with these exercises, try moving them closer to the nut. Again, take it slow and remember to stretch.
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Proper Finger
Placement (continued)
The following charts show you examples of how to fret these notes in a different order each time. The number indicates the
order in which you should play the notes, and the correct fingering (index, middle, ring, pinky) is written next to each note.
With each exercise, start slowly and build up the speed as you get more comfortable. Eventually, youll want to be able to
play any possible combination of these notes, keeping your fingers from moving from their assigned frets:
1st fret = index finger (i)
2nd fret = middle finger (m)
3rd fret = ring finger (r)
4th fret = pinky finger (p)
From here, you can work on this exercise with the notes in a different order. Try using the following finger combinations:
1234
1324
1423
2413
2314
2341
3142
3214
4132
4231
m 2
m 3
m 4
p 4
p 4
p 3
m 4
m 3
m 3
p 3
p 4
p 1
These combinations will help you build both finger strength and independence. Youll find it easier to play faster and more
complicated music if your fingers are able to move independently of your other fingers, and the increased strength with help
your notes sound better. Make this a part of your normal warm-up and practice, and youll notice a big difference as you
go on.
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This exercise helps your fingers move independently of each other, and it also teaches you to cover the largest amount of
notes possible in each hand position. Repeat these combinations on the remaining strings.
m 1
m 2
p 2
p 4
m 1
m 2
p 2
p 1
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Shift Up
In shifting up, your goal is to move
smoothly up to the higher position
and play the part as cleanly as possible.
Youll know youve shifted correctly
when you dont notice any difference
in the notes from one position to the
next.
Upshift Exercises
Part of the hand positioning youve looked at up to this point in this book
is meant to keep your hand from moving too much. As a bassist, its
important to make every note clear and defined. Shifting your hand
around too much can detract from that goal. Sometimes, however, you
just have to move your hand around. The song youre playing might
require notes at various points along the fretboard, or you might want to
hit a high note for special effect.
Take the exercise from earlier in this chapter and move it up and down
the fretboard to get comfortable with shifting.
1 Starting on A on the E string (the 5th fret on the lowest string), play the A
through the C notes using the one-finger-per-fret method.
2 Before playing the C note with your pinky, lift up your other fingers in a
smooth motion (see photo). Keep them close to the fingerboard, but dont
touch the string.
3 After playing the C note and letting it ring, hold down the B flat (the 6th fret
on the E string) with your index finger (see photo).
4 In a smooth motion, let your thumb slide forward just a little bit and let your
fingers move to the next fret up from where they were. The index finger
moves to B flat, the middle finger to B, and so on.
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5 Play each note beginning with your index finger on the B flat (see photo).
6 Repeat this process as you move up the neck. Remember to let your thumb
slide up slowly each time and keep it on the center of the back of the neck.
This is a subtle and slight way to change positions. If youre moving up the
neck in small amounts of space, this keeps your notes sounding clean and
clear without much shifting effort.
Now look at a way to make more dramatic shifts up the neck.
1 Using the one-finger-per-fret method, play the A through the C notes on the
E string.
2 Again, as you play the C note on the E string with your pinky, lift your fingers
in a smooth motion, keeping them close to the fingerboard.
3 This time, however, move your index finger to the B note on the E string.
4 Let your thumb slide down the neck in a smooth motion and let your fingers
fall into their new position as you once again follow the one-finger-per-fret
technique.
5 Play each note beginning with your index finger on the B (see photo).
6 Repeat this process as you move up the neck. Remember to let your thumb
slide slowly up each time and keep it on the center of the back of the neck.
This shift was a little more dramatic, but it still emphasized moving the
hand smoothly in a small increment.
TIP
Keep the noise down!
Part of a smooth shift is a minimum of string
noise. You shouldnt hear a lot of squeaks or
scratches as you move your fretting hand
around. Youll know youre shifting correctly
when you dont hear a lot of extra noise.
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Shift Up
(continued)
Now, take a look at moving the hand to a completely new position in one
motion.
1 Play the A through C notes on the E string using the one-finger-per-fret

method.
2 After playing the C note, smoothly move your hand in one motion up the
neck so that the index finger lands on the 8th fret of the E string, or D flat
(see photo)the note just above where your pinky just played the C.
3 Repeat this motion farther up on the E string, beginning on the D flat.
This represents a dramatic shift of hand position, but notice that it accomplished the task of moving your hand in one
smooth motion. Once you made that motion, you had the full range of your fingers available again. Again, the fewer times
you have to shift your hand, the more consistent and even your sound is. You also have less hand fatigue and stress as you
play.
TIP
For now, keep in mind that shifts should always be smooth, accurate,
and transparent. That is, do everything in a calm and deliberate manner, land in the right places, and make sure that the shift doesnt affect
the sound of the notes you play. If you hear any buzzing or rattling,
slow down and make sure you get it right before speeding up.
The following diagrams show where on the fretboard you should play
the notes, and where you should end up after you make the shift. Use
these as an example, and make sure your shifts are strong and smooth.
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5th fret
5th fret
m 2
B%
m 2
p 4
D%
p 4
Shift
B%
p 4
Shift
m 2
D%
D%
p 4
m 2
B%
p 4
D
9th fret
5th fret
1
D%
5th fret
B%
B%
5th fret
m 2
i
Shift
D%
m 2
E%
p 4
D%
chapter
E
F
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Shift
Down
In a lot of ways, shifting your fretting hand down the neck is the same as shifting your hand up the
neck. It just goes in a different direction. The same one-finger-per-fret technique still applies, and
you still want to make sure all of your shifts are smooth, accurate, and transparent.
Downshift Exercises
With that said, look at the technical side of shifting down the neck.
Start with your fingers in the same position as in the previous exercises.
Your index finger should be on the A note on the E string, your middle finger on the B flat, and so on. In this case, however, start playing the notes
beginning with the C, the note your pinky is fretting.
1 Play the C note fretted by the pinky on the E string (the 8th fret on the E
string).
2 Play the rest of the notes descending the neck in the order of B, B flat, and A.
3 As you play the A note with your index finger, move your pinky to the B on
the E string (the 7th fret).
4 Fret the B with your pinky (see photo).
5 Slide your thumb slightly down the back of the neck of the bass and allow
your fingers to fall in the frets behind the B. Your ring finger should be on
the B flat, your middle finger should be on the A, and your index finger
should be on the note just below the A, on the 4th fret, called the A flat (see
photo).
6 Play the notes from B to A flat.

7 Repeat this exercise down to the bottom of the neck toward the headstock.
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The mechanics of this shift are the same as
shifting up, except that youre beginning your
playing on the pinky and shifting down the
neck. You might also notice that youre
stretching a little bit more as you move down
due to the space between the frets. Keep in
mind that you always need to fret the notes
directly behind the fret. Keep trying for the
proper stretch; it will come through practice.
chapter
5th fret
4
A
m 3
Shift
A%
m 3
B%
r
A
r
2
B%
B
p 1
5th fret
p 1
C
Try increasing the amount of shift again. Start

in the same position as in the preceding exercise, but youre going to be
moving your hand a little more this time.
1 Play the C note fretted by the pinky on the E string at the 8th fret.
2 Play the rest of the notes going down the neck in order of B, B flat, and A.
3 As you play the A note with your index finger, move your pinky to the B flat
on the E string.
4 Fret the B flat with your pinky (see photo).
5 Slide the thumb slightly down the back of the neck of the bass and allow
your fingers to fall in the frets behind the B flat (see photo). Your ring finger
should be on the A, your middle finger should be on the A flat, and your
index finger should be on the note just below the A flat, called the G.
6 Play the notes from B flat to G.

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Shift Down
(continued)
5th fret
4
A
Shift
m 3
4
G
5th fret
m 3
B%
r
A%
r
p 1
p 1
B%
Finally, take a look at a more dramatic shift down the neck. You perform
the same kind of hand motion you did earlier in the chapter, moving your
entire fretting hand in one smooth motion. Start in the same position as in
the previous exercises.
1 Play the C through A notes on the E string using the one-finger-per-fret

method.
2 After playing the A note, smoothly move your hand in one motion down the
neck so that the pinky finger lands on the 4th fret of the E string, or A flat
(see photo).
3 Play the notes using the one-finger-per-fret method down to your index finger.
4 Lift your fingers from the fretboard, but keep your hand on the neck.
5 Play the open E string.
The notes youre playing with your middle
and index fingers are G flat and F, respectively. The exercises here come to an end
because you cant go any lower than the
open E string. However, you can try starting
with your pinky higher up the neck and shifting down from there. Get comfortable playing
in all places on the neck.
5th fret
4
A
m 3
Shift
4
F
m 3
B%
r
G%
r
B
p 1
G
p 1
72
5th fret
A%
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Shift
Across
chapter
So far, all of the examples youve looked

at take place on the E string. However,
your bass has at least three more strings
on it, so it might be a good idea to play
on those as well. The exercises from earlier in this chapter are easily moved to the
other strings, so this shouldnt feel much
different. Your only concern at this point
should be making sure that you fret each
note on each string cleanly. Keep your
other fingers close to the fingerboard, but
out of the way of the note being fretted.
Shift-Across Exercises
Lets start with the first exercise from this chapter and move it to the other
strings on the bass guitar.
1 Fret the A on the E string with your index finger.

2 Play the A through C notes on the E string using the one-finger-per-fret
technique.
3 As you play the C note on the E string, place your index finger just behind
the 5th fret on the A string. Your wrist should flex just a little as you move
from string to string, but it should stay straight overall.
4 Fret the note with your index finger. This note is called the D on the A string
(see photo).
5 Play the D on the A string.

6 Fret the note above the D with your middle finger. This is the E flat on the A
string (see photo).
7 Play the E flat on the A string.

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Shift Across
(continued)
8 Fret the note above the E flat with your ring finger. This is the E on the A
string (see photo).
9 Play the E on the A string.
0 Fret the note above the E with your pinky finger (see photo). This is the F on
the A string.
! Play the F on the A string.
Notice how youre able to play all of these

notes without having to shift your left hand
at all. Your wrist moves slightly, using your
thumb as a pivot point. However, aside from
moving the fingers themselves over to the
next string, you really didnt have to move
your left hand at all. This lack of movement
again helps to give you a consistent and
even tone.
E
i
Nut
E
i
1
F
m 2
Shift
B%
m
2
B
G
p 4
74
C
p
A%
G%
r
4
D%
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Try that same shift coming back down. Start
with your pinky finger where you left off
fretting the F on the A string.
1 Starting with the pinky finger, play notes F

through D on the A string going down using
the one-finger-per-fret technique.
2 As you play the D on the A string, move your
5th fret
i
Shift
r
p
G
A
B%
B
p 1
using the one-finger-per-fret method.
m 3
r
E%
ger and play the note.
4 Play the C through A notes on the E string
E
D
pinky above the C on the E string.
3 Fret the C on the E string with your pinky fin-
5th fret
That takes care of moving across the E and A strings, but you dont have to
stop there. Take these exercises and keep going up the fretboard, flexing
your wrist just slightly each time to move to the next string up.
1 Starting with your index finger on the A on the E string, play A through C on
the E string and D through F on the A string from the preceding example.
2 As you play the F on the A string, move your index finger over the 5th fret on
the D string. This note is the G on the D string (see photo).
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Shift Across
(continued)
3 Play the G on the D string.
4 Fret the note above the G with your middle finger. This is the A flat on the D
string (see photo).
5 Play the A flat on the D string.
6 Fret the note above the A flat with your ring finger. This is the A on the D
string (see photo).
7 Play the A on the D string.
8 Fret the note above the A with your pinky finger. This is the B flat on the D
string (see photo).
9 Play the B flat on the D string.

0 Continue the same motion up to the G string. The fret numbers are the
same, but you are playing the notes C, D flat, D, and E flat on the G string
(see diagram on the next page).
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5th fret
E
i
5th fret
r 3
p 4
m 2
Shift
5th fret
Shift
5th fret
Shift
Now that you have these basic motions together, its easy to apply them all over the fretboard. You should be able to start at
any part of the fretboard on any finger and move from string to string or position to position with a minimum of shifting. Use
the exercises from different points in this chapter and move them around the neck until youre comfortable playing in several
different combinations at various parts of the fretboard. Concentrate for now on getting clear and ringing notes with your fingertips. You start working on getting the notes into a rhythm in Chapter 6.
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Stay Close to
the Fingerboard
You might have noticed throughout the exercises in this chapter that you dont move your fingers
much until its time to fret the next note. This economy of motion helps you move quickly from
note to note without making your fingers do too much work.
Save Your Energy!

Imagine having to drive to the grocery store each time you wanted to buy a single item. Youll get everything you need, but
youll waste a lot of time and effort in the process. Doing what you need in a single trip means you get what you need done
and you have the time and energy to do more.
Fingers too far from the neck
If you lift your fingers too far away from the strings after youre done with a note , thats all the more distance youll have to
bring them back when its time to play the next note. The goal is to keep them as close as possible without interfering with
the sounding of the notes.
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Keeping your fingers with a slight curve close to the strings means youll be ready to play the next note as soon as it needs to
be played. Not only does it eventually increase your speed as a player, but it also keeps your hands from getting too tired too
quickly. This kind of fine-motor movement can easily tire muscles unused to playing. Giving yourself more practice time to
learn the fingerings (and develop calluses) helps you play better faster.
Fingers in proper fingerboard position

Finally, be prepared to spend some time with these exercises. With all the possible combinations of these exercises (such as
playing the notes across the strings, and then shifting up and playing them back down or playing different fingerings all the
way up a single string), theres a lot to do here. Take your time and explore. Your playing will be better for it. Conversely, rushing through these fundamentals will mean problems later down the road. Lay a good foundation to build your playing on.
Gaps could mean bad habits, and bad habits will hinder your playing.
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Page 80

So far, your left hand has been doing most of the work. But your right
hand is just as important to playing the bass guitar. Whereas the left
hand determines what note is played, the right hand dictates the volume and tone of that note. Using proper right-hand technique, you can
make your bass guitar whisper or scream. This chapter shows you how
to play the notes you want to hear.
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Alternate Fingering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Downpicking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Alternate Picking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Pluck with Your Thumb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Mute Your Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
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Alternate
Fingering
Alternate fingering is perhaps the most common and versatile way to play the bass guitar. Its
favored by many players because it allows you to build a strong, even sound while maintaining the
ability to play fast. It also gives you a great degree of control over how the notes you play sound,
from soft and smooth to loud and brash.
Left, Right, Left!
The key word for this playing style is alternate. You alternate playing the notes between the index and middle fingers of your
right hand. After one finger plays a note, the other is right there, ready to play the following note. This alternation means
youre ready to go with another note in any situation. The most important part to remember is that you alternate the fingers
at all times. Your left finger always follows your right finger, and vice versa. This might seem a little strange at first, especially
when youre crossing from one string to the next.
But practice this routine faithfully and youll notice the benefits.
TIP
Shop around
You are introduced to several styles in this chapter.
Although youll probably settle on one as your favorite
eventually, get to know all of them, no matter how difficult they seem at the beginning. Knowing the basics
of each makes you a better and more versatile player.
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Get the Feeling Down

The first step toward mastering alternate fingering is simple:
1 Fret the A on the E string, as you practiced in Chapter 5.

2 Pluck the note with your index finger by placing the pad of the finger underneath the E string and pulling up (see photo). Do this softly at first; you want
enough force to make a note, but you dont want to pull the string too hard
and cause it to snap back against the bass guitar.
3 Pluck again with your middle finger (see photo), using the same amount of
effort you used with your index finger.
At the beginning, repeating steps 2 and 3 should take up a great deal of
your practice time. It might seem a little dull and repetitive at first, but the
goal here is to become comfortable and familiar with alternating your fingers. Concentrate on making sure that youre always going from left to
right and not throwing in groups or clusters of each finger. Just as with
your left hand, its important to make sure that your fingers move independently of each other and that you have the same amount of strength
in each note.
TIP
Practice alternating fingers starting on either the
index or middle finger as well. That way, no
matter where you are while playing, youll be
able to keep that alternating pattern going.
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Alternate Fingering
(continued)
Move from String to String
Now that youve got the hang of alternate plucking on one string, try moving from string to string while keeping that alternation going. This takes some practice at first, but its important to watch your fingers and force them to alternate.
Start this exercise by playing open notes on the E string. This time, the exercise concentrates solely on the right hand.
1 Play four notes on the open E string, starting with your

index finger. The sequence should go index finger, middle finger, index finger, middle finger.
3 Play four open notes on the D string in the same manner.
2 Now play four notes on the A string, using the same

sequence.
4 Finish up with four notes on the G string, just as you did

on the other strings.
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Its easy to maintain the alternating pattern in this exercise, because youre giving yourself enough time to see the shift to the
next string coming and its an even number of notes. That way, you always start the sequence on the index finger. Try this
exercise again, but begin it on the middle finger this time around. This exercise uses the same notes, but it gets you used to
leading with your middle finger as well.
In this next exercise, cut the number of notes in half:
1 Play two notes on the open E string, starting with your index finger.
2 Now play two open notes on the A string.
3 Repeat this exercise for the D and G strings as well.
Again, youre starting each string with the same finger, but with fewer notes, to anticipate the shift. Again, repeat this exercise
by starting on the middle finger. You should also repeat the previous two exercises starting on the G string and working your
way down to the E string. Get comfortable moving in either direction.
Now that youre good at moving up and down the strings of the bass guitar with even amounts of notes, try playing an odd
amount of notes on each string (see sequence on next page). This forces you to start each string on a different finger. It gets
you ready to move from string to string more easily and quickly. This exercise is a little more challenging because youre leading with a different finger every time. Repeatedly practice this so that youre comfortable with that change. With a little time,
youll notice that it will become a natural movement. Again, repeat this exercise starting on the middle finger.
TIP
Repetition is key!
The best way to make these motions feel
natural is regular practice. Start slow and
keep at it. Its important to make this a natural part of your playing.
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Alternate Fingering
(continued)
1 Play three notes on the open E string, beginning on your
index finger. The sequence should go index finger, middle finger, index finger.
3 Play three open notes on the D string, starting with your

index finger. This is the same sequence as the E string.
86
2 Now play three open notes on the A string, beginning

with your middle finger. Now, youll play those notes
with a sequence of middle finger, index finger, middle
finger.
4 End up by playing three open notes on the G string,

using the same sequence as the A string. If you do this
exercise correctly, you end up playing the last note with
your middle finger.
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Finally, throw out all the extra notes and practice playing each open string with a different plucking finger.
1
2
3
4
Pluck an open E note with your index finger.

Pluck an open A note with your middle finger.
Pluck an open D note with your index finger.
Pluck an open G note with your middle finger.
Just like the rest, repeat the previous two exercises starting on your middle finger and starting on the G string instead of the E
string. In fact, you should probably go back and repeat all the exercises in this section again. And again. Repetition might
seem a little boring right now, but its the key to building a strong, even alternate picking style. Your goal is to make sure that
each note gets the same tone and emphasis as the rest of the notes you play, no matter whether youre playing softly or roaring loudly. Your goal is consistency.
Once you feel comfortable with all of these exercises, you can mix up which notes you play on each string as you move up,
as long as you concentrate on alternating your index and middle fingers. The songs you play might not have even groups of
notes on each string, so its important to get used to switching off.
TIP
Switch it up!
Its easy to get into a safe and comfortable routine
with these kinds of exercises. Make sure you switch up
your routines every so often to expand your playing
abilities. Never be afraid to try something different.
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Downpicking
Although the alternate plucking technique is a favorite of many bassists,
many have also borrowed a trick from
guitarists and use a pick. Chapter 3
reviewed how to hold a pick, so refer
back to that section for a refresher if
you need to. Now, look at how to play
using the downpicking technique.
Take It Down
Just as the name of the technique
implies, you use the pick only in a downward motion; that is, you move the pick
down, striking the string from the top. As
opposed to strumming a guitar, however,
youll want to play only one note at a
time right now. After each stroke, bring
the pick back above the string and get
ready for the next downstroke.
Dont bend your wrist as in the photo; instead let your elbow do the work.
Try to keep your wrist as straight as possible and use your elbow to power
your downstrokes. Youll have to use just a slight amount of movement to
accomplish the downstroke, and it puts less strain on your wrist as you
play.
Now repeat this downstroke while fretting the A note on the E string for a
few minutes. Concentrate on making even, strong notes on each stroke.
Most players use downpicking to create aggressive, pumping bass lines in
hard-rock and metal styles. Using only downstrokes gives each note a lot
of power and definition, making it suitable for those types of music.
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chapter
Apply some of the exercises from earlier in this chapter to downpicking now:
1
2
3
4
Pick four notes on the open E string. Concentrate on making each one even and strong.
Pick four notes on the open A string.
Pick four notes on the open D string.
Pick four notes on the open G string.
You dont have to worry about how you start playing each string in this case because every stroke is a downstroke. It is a
good idea to start this exercise on the G string as well as the E string, however. Even though youre always using downstrokes
with this technique, you should get used to moving from string to string in either direction. Practice the previous exercises
using three notes, two notes, and one note as well.
Down to Earth
Its important not to get too carried away
with your downstrokes and strike other
strings as you play. You need just a slight
movement of your elbow (as shown in
the photos) to make the pick strike the
strings correctly. Overdoing it causes a
great deal of unwanted noise. To help
accomplish this, a lot of players use palm
muting, a technique you look at later in
this chapter. Until then, however, focus on
using just enough effort to get a clear note
without making any other noise.
Now that youve looked at picking using
just downstrokes, move on to using
upstrokes as well.
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Alternate
Picking
This style of picking adds an upstrokeor striking the string from the bottom upto the downstroke you already learned. As you might suspect, this style allows you to add a little more speed to
your playing, as youll take the motion youd normally use to raise the pick for another downstroke
to play another note. The key here is to make that motion sound as much like the downstroke as
possible.
Alternate Picking Exercises
Start by fretting the A note on the E string, and pick that note using a
downstroke. Just as you normally would, stop the pick before it hits the
next string. This time, however, strike the string with the pick on the way
back up. You should use the same amount of effort as you do with the
downstroke; youre just using the same motion in reverse.
Run through some familiar exercises now using alternate picking. Instead
of specifying index or middle fingers, however, use up- and downstrokes:
1 Play four notes on the open E string. The sequence should be down, up,
down, up.
2 Play four notes on the open A string, using the same sequence.
3 Repeat the exercise on the D (see photo) and G strings.
When moving between strings, just move your arm a little bit to the next
string. It should be an easy, fluid motion. Just make sure you dont accidentally hit another string in that motion. Try the same exercise now, using
just two notes per string.
1 Play two notes on the open E string. The sequence should be down, up, down, up.
2 Play two notes on the open A string, using the same sequence.
3 Repeat the exercise on the D and G strings.
Youre switching strings a little more quickly this time; however, the basics remain the same. Repeat these exercises beginning on upstrokes now, and try them beginning on the G string as well. You might find it easier to start with an upstroke on
the G string, but be sure to practice it beginning on a downstroke as well.
On the following page, you will take a look at odd groups of notes now. This gets a little more complicated because you
switch strings and use upstrokes at the same time. Practice these slowly and remember to move your entire forearm in one
smooth motion.
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1 Play three notes on the open E string, beginning with a
downstroke. The sequence should go down, up, down.
3 Play three open notes on the D string, starting with a

downstroke. This is the same sequence as you played on
the E string.
chapter
2 Now play three open notes on the A string, beginning

with an upstroke. Now, play those notes with a sequence
of up, down, up.
4 End up by playing three open notes on the G string,

using the same sequence as on the A string. If you do this
exercise correctly, you end up playing the last note with
an upstroke.
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Alternate Picking
(continued)
Practice this until it becomes a smooth motion. Then move on to playing just one note per string. Again, use just slight
motions of your arm to keep things from flying out of control.
1
2
3
4
Play an open E note with a downstroke.

Pluck an open A note with an upstroke.
Pluck an open D note with a downstroke.
Pluck an open G note with an upstroke.
Again, this takes some concentration to make sure you hit these notes correctly without causing excess string noise or ringing. Thats why its key to use smooth, precise motions without swinging too wildly. There will be times for swinging wildly at
notes, but those usually come at the end of the encore. Pace yourself until then.
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Pluck with
Your Thumb
chapter
Plucking notes with the thumb is an older style of playing taken from the fingerpicking style of guitar playing. In that style, the thumb is reserved for playing bass notes, so it only makes sense that it
would work its way over to the bass guitar. However, this isnt a commonly used technique because
it doesnt lend itself to quick or easy playing. Its used mainly when you want a deep and dense
sound, such as a country, folk, or slower jazz feel.
Please be aware that this is not the same technique as slapping the bass, which is often referred
to as thumbstyle bass. That technique is covered in Chapter 11.
Hand Position for Thumb Plucking

There are two ways to position your right hand for this style of playing.
One way is to place the tips of your fingers below the G string and rest
your thumb on the strings themselves.
You can also rest the edge of your palm on the bridge of the bass guitar
(not on the strings, but on the actual metal of the bridge) and again rest
your thumb on the strings of the bass guitar.
This technique uses downstrokes of the thumb to play the notes. Again,
this isnt meant to produce quick successions of notes, but instead to produce deep, dense notes, similar to the sound of an upright bass.
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Pluck with Your

Thumb (continued)
Fret the D note on the A string with your
left hand. Play that note with your thumb,
plucking down on the string.
You can either let the note ring out or just
bring your thumb back to rest on that
string, stopping the sound of the note.
This is especially useful for music that
requires space between the notes, such
as country and folk.
Now take the exercises from earlier in this

section and apply them to your thumb:
1 Pick four notes on the open E string.

Concentrate on making each one even and
strong.
2 Pick four notes on the open A string.

3 Pick four notes on the open D string.
4 Pick four notes on the open G string.
Now, do the same exercise, but bring your
thumb back up to rest on the string in place
of some of the notes.
1 Pick two notes on the open E string. Bring

your thumb back up to rest on the string
between notes.
2 Pick two notes on the open A string. Bring

your thumb back up to rest on the string
between notes.
3 Repeat this exercise on the D and G strings.

This style of playing lends itself naturally to country and the two-feel style of jazz, which makes extensive use of space
between each note. If youve ever been to a formal dance or a wedding, youve heard this type of music. You probably wont
use your thumb too much if youre playing fast pop or rock; however, its a useful tool to have available. Its also a good technique to use with palm muting to produce a low thump suited for country music. For more on palm muting, see the next
page.
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Mute Your
Strings
Page 95
chapter
So far, this chapter has dealt with creating notes with different types of plucking and picking. You
might have noticed as you play that sometimes other strings sound along with the notes you meant
to play, or that strings continue to sound after youve finished with the note you meant to play. The
first case of unwanted ringing is caused by sympathetic vibration. The motion of one string causes
vibrations in the other strings as well, and the pickup translates that motion into sound. The second case is just the after-effects of playing a noteonce you play it, its going to ring for a little bit.
Hit the Mute Button
The answer to both of these unwanted noise problems is string muting. Simply put, resting your fingers on strings causes
them to stop vibrating. You can either use your left hand to stop the vibrations on the neck, or you can use your right hand to
stop or alter the vibrations closer to the bridge. Each is a valuable technique to learn, and each has its own musical applications as well.
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Mute Your
Strings (continued)
THE LEFT HAND
Left-handed muting is based on techniques you learned in Chapter 5. Remember that the emphasis in that chapter was on
fretting the note directly behind the fret and keeping your fingers close to the fingerboard.
The easiest way to mute a note with your left hand is to simply lift your finger enough to bring the string off of the fretboard.
Your finger should remain on the string, however. Doing this prevents any further string vibrations, effectively stopping the
note. This is useful when you want to play a quick series of notes with definite space in between each note.
In this exercise, fret the A note on the E string:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Using the alternate plucking technique, play four A notes.

Now play the same four notes again, but pick up your finger between each note.
Fret the D note on the A string.
Play four D notes, picking up your finger between each note.
Fret the G note on the D string.
Play four G notes, picking up your finger between each note.
Fret the C note on the G string.
Play four C notes, picking up your finger between each note.
Notice how each time you pick up your finger, the note stops. This works well for stopping the notes you just played, but it
doesnt do much to stop the sympathetic vibrations of the other strings. In this case, use your other fingers to stop the other
strings from ringing.
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USE YOUR FINGERS

When you arent using the fingers on your left hand to fret notes, you can use them to stop other strings from ringing. Simply
rest them gently across the strings over the fretboard. Be careful not to actually fret a note with the other fingers. You want to
put just enough pressure on them to keep them from ringing.
In this exercise, fret the A note on the E string with your index finger and let the other fingers on your left hand rest gently on
the other strings. Make sure that you dont let the other fingers rest on the E string; that prevents the note you want to play
from sounding out correctly.
1
2
3
4
5
Play four A notes with your left hand muting the strings.
Lift the fingers on your left hand except for the index finger.
Play the notes again. Note the sympathetic vibrations from the other strings.
Bring your fingers down on the strings lightly to stop the vibrations.
Play the four A notes again.
You can repeat this exercise on the other strings as well. When youre playing a lot of notes on one string, as in the exercises
in Chapter 5, you can lightly rest the edge of your palm on the strings to stop the string vibrations. Again, be sure to stay out
of the way of the notes you actually intend to play. Your ultimate goal is the ability to start and stop notes exactly when you
want to. With practice, this comes naturally.
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Mute Your
Strings (continued)
THE RIGHT HAND
Your other choice for muting notes involves your right hand. You can use your right hand to either stop notes or give them a
chunkier, thicker sound.
First, look at a good right-hand muting style using the alternate plucking technique. When youre plucking the strings, let the
finger that just plucked the note come to rest briefly on the next string up (notice index finger in photo below). For example,
if youre playing a note on the A string, let the plucking finger come to rest on the E string. Try this exercise:
1
2
3
4
5
6
Fret the D note on the A string.

Play this note four times, letting the plucking finger come to rest on the E string.
Fret the G note on the D string.
Play this note four times, letting the plucking finger come to rest on the A string.
Fret the C note on the G string.
Play this note four times, letting the plucking finger come to rest on the D string.
Obviously, this technique doesnt work on the E string because theres nothing to rest on after you play a note. You can use
the other plucking finger to stop the vibrations of the strings, as long as it works into the alternation of your picking style.
Otherwise, you might consider using more left-handed muting in addition to this style to prevent sympathetic vibrations. Both
hands should work in tandem to make sure that the only notes you hear are the ones you want to hear.
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PALM MUTING
Another right-handed muting option involves resting the edge of your
palm against the strings just above the bridge saddles. You can still hear
the notes you play, but the other strings dont vibrate at all. The notes you
do hear are short and thick. This technique is used a great deal in rock
and metal, usually in quieter, driving passages.
This muting style works best when youre plucking with your thumb or
using a pick. Use both techniques when playing the exercises in this section.
1 Rest the edge of your right palm against the strings just above the saddles on
the bridge of your bass guitar.
2 Play four notes on the open E string. Notice the added thump to the sound
and the speed at which the notes stop.
3 Repeat this on the other open strings.

4 Now fret the A on the E string and play four notes on that string.
5 Repeat using the other strings fretted at the 5th fret.
You can also use this muting technique on the exercises in Chapter 5. Notice the difference in sounds between when you
first played the exercises and the sound you get now with palm muting. This probably isnt a technique youll use for all of
your playing, but it is a nice ability to have available when the need arises.
Make It All Work Together

Youll probably want to use a combination of left- and right-handed muting techniques as you play. Some youll use to stop
unwanted sounds, and some youll use to alter the tone of the notes youre playing. There are no hard-and-fast rules on what
technique to use where. It all depends on the song youre playing.
Practice each technique until youre comfortable using it, and let your ears tell you which one sounds the best in each situation. This is an instinct you can develop only over time. Listen to lots of music and pay attention to the bass guitar sound. By
hearing different examples, you get a better sense of what goes where.
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Page 100
Playing Your First Scales

Now that youve got your technique together, take a look at the building
blocks of every bass line. Learning scales and how to read both standard notation and tablature lets you learn real music that much more
quickly. This is where you take the notes youve played and make them
make sense. In this chapter, you pick up the basics for material thats
used in the rest of the book.
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Basic Music Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Notes on the Fretboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Basic Tablature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
The C Major Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
The G Major Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
The F Major Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
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Basic Music
Notation
Whether youre new to sheet music or you just need a refresher course, its good to take some time
and learn how to read music. Were not going to get into reading Bach cantatas or anything, but it
will come in handy down the road to be able to read some basic scales and rhythms.
The Bass Clef and Key/Time Signatures

The notes on the bass guitar fall squarely into the appropriately named
bass clef. Following the bass clef symbol is the key signature, a combination of symbols that tells you the key the song is in. It also sometimes tells
you what notes the lines and spaces on the staff represent.
The key identifies one central note and the rest of the notes in a particular
scale. Well get to scales later in this chapter. For now, just keep in mind
that the symbols following the bass clef represent sharp and flat notes.
Making a note sharp means raising it

one half-step above the normal note.
In terms of a bass guitar, thats one
fret higher. A flat note is one halfstep below the normal note, or one
fret lower. The symbols after the bass
clef show you which notes are flat,
normal, or sharp throughout the
whole piece of music.
102
Bass clef with sharp symbol
Bass clef symbol
Bass clef with flat symbol
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The natural symbol returns the note to its unflattened or unsharpened

state. For instance if A% existed in the key signature (meaning every A in
the piece of music is automatically flattened), and there was a natural
sign in front of one specific A in the piece, then only for that naturalized
A you would play a regular A, then go back to flattening every other A.
These symbols (flats, sharps, and naturals) that pop up here and there
later on in the music are collectively called accidentals.
Natural symbol
After the clef and the flats or sharps (if any) comes the time signature.
This looks like two numbers stacked on top of each other. The top number tells how many beats there are to a measure, or unit of written music.
The bottom number tells you what type of note receives that beat. See
the next two sections for more on the different types of notes and what I
mean when I say receives the beat.
4/4 time signature
All of these parts put together look like the figure shown here. This particular design is for the G Major key.

G Major key signature
TIP
Everything Is natural
All notes are natural unless otherwise specified in
the key signature or an accidental. Youll never see
a natural symbol in the key signature.
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Basic Music
Notation (continued)
The Notes
Now take a look at the notes themselves. Each note identifies how many beats it receives in a measure.
A whole note receives (is held for)

four beats per measure.
The quarter note receives one beat

per measure.
The half note receives two beats per

measure.
The eighth note receives half the

beat value of the quarter note.
Finally, the sixteenth note receives

half the beat value of the
eighth note.
Use this figure to keep all the beat values straight.
1 whole note = 2 half notes
= 4 quarter notes
= 16 sixteenth notes
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8 eighth notes
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The Staff
All of the notes are placed on the staff, which is made up of five lines stretching across the page.
Just as you can tell the beat value of a note by its shape, you can tell the pitch of a note by where its placed on the staff.
Look at one of the exercises from Chapter 6, where you played four notes on each open string using the alternate fingering
technique. Remember that the strings on the bass guitar are E, A, D, and G, from lowest to highest.
If a note appears below or above the main staff, like the open E string (shown below), it is printed on its own smaller line.
This is called a ledger (also sometimes spelled leger) line.
Notice the lines (called barlines) between each group of four notes. Each line marks off a measure (or bar) of music.
Each measure contains the number of beats set aside in the time signature. If the time signature is 4/4, there are 4 beats
per measure. If its 3/4, there are three beats.
See how easy that is? Youre already reading music! Lets take a look at the rest of the notes on the staff.
Letter names of staff lines
Letter names of staff spaces
Grade-school teachers use mnemonic devices to teach the order of letters on the staff. You can use Good Boys Do Fine
Always to remember the order of the lines and All Cats Expect Greatness for the spaces, or you can make up something
else entirely. The musical alphabet runs from A to G. Notice how the staff lines and spaces follow this order.
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Basic Music
Notation (continued)
Rests
Knowing when not to play is just as important as knowing what to play. Rests indicate where (and for how long) you dont
play anything. Just like the notes, there are markings for whole, half, quarter, sixteenth, and thirty-second rests.
thirty-second rest
half rest
whole rest
eighth rest
quarter rest
sixteenth rest
Youll play again the E, A, D, G open string exercise you saw in Chapter 6, but this time substitute a quarter rest for the third
note in each group. It looks like this:
Instead of playing the third note in this exercise, dont play anything. While you play, count to yourself 1-2-3-4, and dont
play anything when you say 3. You can use string muting here, as described in Chapter 6.
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Notes on the
Fretboard
chapter
The preceding chapters have shown

you some of the notes on the bass guitar fretboard. You should know by
now that the open strings are E, A, D,
and G, from lowest to highest. You
should also know that the fifth fret of
each string is the same note as the next
open string. Take a look at the rest of
the notes on the fretboard now.
Mapping Out the Notes

Dont be intimidated by all of the notes you see. There are really only 12 notes on the bass guitarthey just repeat at lower or
higher frequencies (or octaves). Once youve learned the pattern and notice a few landmarks, itll be easy to remember.
First, learn the 12 notes on the bass guitar. These notes are the same as those played on many other instruments, from the
piano to the saxophone. If you know the alphabet, you know these notes.
A A#/B%
C C#/D%
D D#/E%
F#/G%
G G#/A%
The notes separated by slashes are actually the same note. Those notes just go by different names depending on what key
youre playing at the time. Theyre called enharmonic equivalents, but you dont need to remember that right now. Just
remember that the same note can have two separate names.
Youre familiar with the fretboard by now, so you should be able to match up the note names listed on the diagram on the
next page to your own bass guitar.
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Notes on the
Fretboard (continued)
# b
A /B
F
# b
D /E
# b
G /A
B
# b
F /G
E
A
C
G
# b
C /D
# b
G /A
F
# b
A /B
# b
F /B
D
A
# b
D /E
# b
A /B
G (5th Fret)
C
# b
G /A
# b
C /D
E
B
F
C
# b
F /G
# b
C /D
G
D
A
D
# b
A /B
# b
D /E
B
E
C
F
# b
G /A # b
D /E
A
# b
b C /D
F /G
D (12th Fret)
G
# b
G /A
# b
D /E
A
E
# b
A /B
F
# bB
F /G
C
G
# b
C /D
# b
G /A
D
# b A
D /E # b
A /B
#
F
# b
# b A /B
F /G
B
G
# b C
G /A # b
C /D
A
# b D
b
A /B
#
D /E
B
E
C
F
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If you look closely, you should notice a pattern in how these

notes are laid out across the fingerboard. Most bass guitars
also have helpful hints directly on the fingerboard. For example, most have dots or some other sort of inlaid material on
the 3rd, the 5th, the 7th, the 9th, the 12th, the 15th, the 17th,
and the 19th frets. The pattern continues if a certain bass guitar has more frets.
These are just handy placeholders that remind you where you
are and help you find your position quickly. Many bass guitars
also have similar dots on the side of the neck for easier viewing while playing.
Its a good idea to use these as quick visual indicators, but
dont grow too reliant on staring at the fretboard while youre
playing. Eventually, youll want your ears to do the work of
telling you where you are and what youre playing. Still, its
great to have these reminders there when you have to quickly
orient yourself on the fretboard.
The inlays on the 12th fret are often different from the others
on the fretboard. They might range from double dots to an
intricate design, depending on who made the instrument. The
reason for this special design is that the 12th fret represents a
significant change in the layout of the notes. Playing a note on
the 12th fret means youre playing the exact same note as the
open string that note is on, only an octave up. In the major
and minor scales there are eight notes. Although the notes
get higher in pitch, they still have the same names. Each
group is just in a higher or lower octave.
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Notes on the
Fretboard (continued)
The upshot of all this is that the notes above the 12th fret are in the same order as the ones between the nut and the 12th
fret. Once youve got the lower part of the fretboard memorized, you can repeat those note names for all the frets above the
12th fret as well.
The next group of exercises focuses on taking the notes and fingerings youve already played and attaching them to the note
names you just learned. The easiest way to do this is to play the exercises slowly and say the note names to yourself as you go.
1
2
3
4
5
Play the open E string and say E.
Fret the 4th fret on the E string with your index finger and say A%.
Fret the 5th fret with your middle finger and say A.
Fret the 6th fret with your ring finger and say B%.
Fret the 7th fret with your pinky and say B.
Repeat the exercises youve learned so far, saying the notes as you play them. Start slowly and refer to the diagram of the
fretboard as you go. Practicing this helps you learn the fingerboard and reinforces the note names as you go.
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Basic
Tablature
chapter
If standard music notation is the War

and Peace of sheet music, tablature is
the CliffsNotes. Tablature wont tell
you the entire story, but it will help
you find your way through the music
and learn possible fingerings for notes.
Its also a good way to pass along
information to other people.
How to Read Tablature

Tablature looks similar to the bass clef staff, but there are only four lines in this case. As you can see by the note names
below, these lines represent the strings on the bass guitar. To represent fingerings, numbers are placed on those lines. These
represent the frets to be played while following the tablature. You wont see any note names, but you will see where to put
your fingers.
T
A
B
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Basic Tablature
(continued)
This is the tablature, or tab for short, for the
exercise used earlier in this chapter. Its helpful because you can see exactly where to put
your fingers, but it doesnt give you all the
information you need to play the exercise.
Although you know where to put your fingers,
you dont know how long to play those notes
or where any rests might be. Thats why tab
is best used in conjunction with standard
notation.
The notation shows you the notes and the

rhythm, whereas the tablature shows you on
which frets to play the exercise. The tablature
isnt especially helpful here, but it will come in
handy later. As youve seen from the earlier
diagrams, there are several places on the fretboard to play the same note. The tablature
shows you one way to play it, based on the
experience of the musics author.
T
A
B
T
A
B
TIP
Check the Net
The Internet is a great source of additional information
on the bass guitar. Check out bassplayer.com,
talkbass.com, activebass.com, and
theuglybassplayer.com for more information.
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You can find a wealth of tab resources on the Internet that show you how to play your favorite songs. To use these tab examples, you need to be extremely familiar with the music youre playing. But the tab shows you recommended fingerings and
can help you get the song ready.
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The C Major
Scale
All of the exercises youve looked at to
this point were based on learning the
fretboard of the bass guitar. However,
most of the music youve heard on the
radio isnt based on playing notes up
and down the fretboard like that. The
vast majority of Western music is
based on scales, or groups of notes
based around a central note, or key.
Electric Bass
T
A
B
Electric Bass
How to Play a C Major Scale

The most important scale to start with is the major scale. This typically sounds happy and bright to a listeners ear. And the
best place to start with the major scale is C Major, because there arent any sharps or flats to remember when you play it.
You can tell whether a piece of music is in C Major if there are no sharp or flat symbols after the bass clef (see the figure
above). From there, its a simple matter of counting off the alphabet beginning with C to get the notes in the C Major scale.
Take a look at how those notes are shown on the bass-clef staff. As you look at each note, say the note name to yourself,
from the lower C note to the higher C note. There are a couple of ways to play this particular scale, and this is where tablature comes in handy.
C
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
114
T
A
B
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The first sample fingering starts with your
middle finger on the C on the A string. Your
hand shouldnt move from its basic position.
Be sure to use the one-finger-per-fret technique. In this case, the letter m stands for
the middle finger, p stands for the pinky, i
stands for the index finger, and r stands for
the ring finger.
1 Play each note on the frets listed in the

tablature.
10
10
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
2 Say the name of the note as you play it. Its

always going to be the next letter in the
alphabet.
3 Look at the letters above the notes. Those

letters tell you which finger to play the note
with.
That same scale can be played with the same
fingering at a different place on the neck. Look
at this example and go through the same
steps as in the first C Major scale example.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Finally, look at another way to play this scale.

This method involves stretching your hand a
little more. Take this one slowly.
This fingering might seem a little unnatural at
first, but it helps you look for different places
to play the same note on the fretboard. This
comes in handy later. Practice these fingerings
repeatedly until it feels natural to play them.
T
A
B
10
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
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The G Major
Scale
The G Major scale is a close relative of
the C Major scale. Most of the notes
are common, except that there is one
sharp note found in the G Major scale.
You can recognize the G Major scale
by seeing the one sharp symbol following the bass clef. That one sharp is
placed on the line for the F note,
meaning that note is sharp throughout
the piece.
How to Play a G Major Scale

To learn the notes in the G Major scale, count off the letters in the alphabet beginning with G. Once you hit A, start the alphabet again and go until you hit G. When you get to F, say that note as F sharp.
F#
Remember, that sharp means that the note is one half-step higher than the regular F, meaning that its one fret higher.
Electric Bass
G
Electric Bass
116
T
A
B
F#
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You can use several of the same fingerings for
the G Major scale as you did for the C Major
scale. Look at the first example, starting with
your middle finger on the G note on the E
string. Again, your hand shouldnt move from
its basic position. Be sure to use the onefinger-per-fret technique.
10
12
2
11
1 12
Electric Bass

tablature.
Electric Bass
T
A
B

alphabet.
3 Look at the letters above the note. Those

letters tell you which finger to play the note
with.
Because this G note is one of the lowest notes
on the bass guitar neck, this is the only place
you can use this fingering for the G Major
scale in this octave. However, you could play
this scale up an octave higher on the neck
and still use the same fingering. Start this
example at the 10th fret on the A string.
The 8va above the notes just means to play
that passage an octave up from where it is
notated. In this example, the letters below the
notes show you which fingers to use. The tablature shows you exactly where to play the
notes.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
Now go back to the lower G note on the E

string and start on the index finger.
10
0 12
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
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The F Major
Scale
Like the G Major scale, the F Major
scale shares many of the same notes as
the C Major scale. In this case, however, theres a flat note instead of a
sharp note to differentiate the scale.
That flat is placed on the line for the
B note, meaning that all B notes in
that piece are flat.
How to Play an F Major Scale

To learn the notes in the F Major scale, count off the letters in the alphabet beginning and ending with F, again going back to
A after G. Remember to say B flat instead of B.
B%
Remember, that flat means that the note is one half-step lower than the regular B, meaning that its one fret lower.
Electric Bass
F
Electric Bass
B%
T
A
B
These fingerings should look familiar at this point. Start the first example on the lower F note on the E string. Again, your
hand shouldnt move from its basic position. Be sure to use the one-finger-per-fret technique.
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tablature.
Electric Bass
Now move this scale up an octave, but stay

on the same string. Start this example at the
13th fret on the A string.
These scales not only help you learn the

notes on the fretboard, but they should also
sound a little familiar. Most of the songs
youve heard have been based off of these
types of scales, just in different keys. This
should get you started and familiar with the
concept of scales.
T
A
B
open
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Listen to the difference between the first

example of playing this scale using open
strings and the third example using fretted
notes. Youre playing the same basic notes,
but they have a little different timbre (pronounced tamber), or are different in tone and
sound. Knowing what your instrument
sounds like at different parts on the fretboard
can help you determine how you want to
play different scales and songs.
open
3 Look at the letters underneath the note.
Return to the lower F note on the E string and

start on the index finger.
Electric Bass

alphabet.
Those letters tell you which finger to play the
note with.
T
A
B
13 15
12 14 15
12 13
15
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
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Playing with Chords

The bass guitars job is to lay the foundation of the song being played.
Because most Western music is based on chords, its important for a
bassist to know what makes a chord and how they fit into the song. In
this chapter, you take scales and notes you already know and make
them into chords.
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What Makes a Chord? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Major Chords and Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Minor Scales and Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Seventh Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Arpeggios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
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What Makes
a Chord?
One of the basic building blocks of
most of the music you listen to is harmony. In most modern music, harmony is represented by the playing of
chords. Chords are groups or clusters
of notes played within a certain timeframe. A chord could be played by one
guitar or piano or a full orchestra, but
its still a chord.
THE INGREDIENTS
Each chord has a fundamental note, or root note. That root defines the basis of the chord, and the name of the chord is usually derived from the root note. From there, the other notes played define the character and nature of the chord.
As a bassist, your job is often to set the root note of the chord. Most people hear the lowest pitch played as the root of the
chord, while other instruments provide the color. However, its not always that way. Bass lines can also be expected to provide many other notes beyond the root note to keep the music interesting.
Thats why its important to know how to build a chord and play all of the notes in it. You never know whats going to help
make the song more interesting, so you have to be ready to provide any of the appropriate notes at any time to make everything flow smoothly.
CHORD SHORTHAND
Because the names of the exact notes in each chord can vary depending on the scale and type of chord, a common shorthand of describing the notes in a chord uses Roman numerals to take the place of those exact names.
ii
iii
IV
vi
vii
VIII
In this case, the I always refers to the root of the scale. So if you were looking at the C Major scale, the I would equal the C.
The rest of the notes in the scale would fall into place from there.
ii
iii
IV
vi
vii
VIII
Aside from the root, each of the notes in the Roman numeral shorthand takes its name from its number. For example, the V
note of each scale is called the fifth, the vi note is called the sixth, and so on. The VIII note is called the octave note.
These names are important to remember because chords actually take their names from the Roman numerals of the notes
involved. Before we get to that, however, take a look at the basic major and minor chords. In both of these cases, the chords
are made from the root, the third (iii), and the fifth (V) note of their respective scales. For these chords and the vast majority
of the others youll learn, these three notes are involved.
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Major Chords
and Scales
chapter
Playing with Chords
Just like the scales they come from,

major chords often sound happier and
more cheerful to the listener. Theyre
also the easiest chords to build because
you just take the root, third, and fifth
of the scales to build them.
Construct a Major Chord

C MAJOR CHORD
Start with the C Major scale (see page 114). To make a C Major chord, (a) take the rootCthe thirdEand the fifthG.
Now, find these notes on the bass guitar. Take a look at one way to play the notes in the C Major scale. Instead of playing all
the notes in the scale, just play these three notes (b). Now take a look at an alternate fingering (c). Notice how these notes
are related to the scales you played in the preceding chapter. With that in mind, check out this alternate fingering (d).
a
fifth
third
root
Middle finger on C: A string
C Major chord
1
10
Middle finger on C: E string
Index finger on C: A string
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Major Chords and

Scales (continued)
G MAJOR CHORD
In the G Major scale, the chord notes are G, B, and D.
You can figure out the G Major chord fingerings from the scale work you did in Chapter 7 as well.
G Major chord
10
12
1
Middle finger on lower G: E string
10
Middle finger on G: A string (10th fret)
124
T
A
B
Index finger on lower G: E string
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Playing with Chords

F MAJOR CHORD
In the F Major scale, the chord notes are F, A, and C.
Just like the other scales, take the root, third, and fifth notes from this scale in different fingerings and play the F Major chord
from there.
F Major chord
Middle finger on lower F: E string
3
1
Middle finger on F: D string
Index finger on lower F: E string
Now, take a look at the other major scales and a sample fingering for their major chords. Start with the major scales that have
sharps in them, such as the G Major scale, and then look at the scales with flats in them, such as the F Major scale.
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Major Chords and

Scales (continued)
The Sharp Major Scales and Chords
Notice how the number of sharp symbols next to the bass clef in each of these examples increases as these scales go on.
Again, the sharps near the clef indicate which notes will be played sharp (or one fret higher) throughout the piece of music.
D Major scale
E Major scale
126
D Major chord fingering
A Major scale
A Major chord fingering
2
0
E Major chord fingering
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Playing with Chords

Notice in the C# Major scale that ALL of the notes are sharp, or played one fret up.
B Major scale
C# Major scale
B Major chord fingering
4
2
F# Major scale
F# Major chord fingering
6
4
C# Major chord fingering
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Major Chords and

Scales (continued)
The Flat Major Scales and Chords
Like the sharp scales, notice how the number of flats goes up as these scales go on. These flats in the key signature again
indicate which notes will be played one fret down for the duration of the piece.
8
6
B% Major scale
A% Major scale
128
B% Major chord fingering
E% Major scale
E% Major chord fingering
6
4
A% Major chord fingering
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Playing with Chords
Practice these scales and fingerings and keep saying the notes to yourself as you play them. Pretty soon, youll have all of
these scales and chords memorized.
Note: All of the notes in the C Flat Major scale are flat.
D% Major scale
C% Major scale
D% Major chord fingering
G% Major scale
G% Major chord fingering
4
2
C% Major chord fingering
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Minor Scales
and Chords
Natural minor scales differ from major scales by only three notes. These notes give the minor scale a
quality often described as sadder or darker than the major scales. Its easy to express these differences using the Roman numeral shorthand. Notice how the third, sixth, and seventh notes in the
scale are shown as flat. This defines the minor scale.
Construct a Minor Chord
To make a minor chord, you still use the root note, the third, and the fifth of a scale. The difference between a minor chord
and a major chord is that the third note is flat.
E%
A%
B%
ii
III
iv
VI
VII
viii
Take a look at the A minor scale. Notice how the key signature for A minor is the same as C Major. This means that there are
no sharps or flats in the A minor scale, just like the C Major scale. A minor is the relative minor scale to the C Major. Every
major scale has a relative minor scale that begins three frets down from the root note.
ii
III
iv
VI
VII
viii
Here are the notes for the A minor scale, along with a recommended fingering.
i
p i
A minor scaleindex finger on lower A: E string

To make an A minor chord, play the root, the third, and the fifth notes of the minor scale (a). You could also use the sample
fingering shown in b for A minor chord tones.
A minor chordindex finger on lower A: E string
2
5
A minor chordpinky finger on lower A: E string
Now take a look at some other minor scales and chords with sample fingerings. Remember that each minor scale is the
relative minor of the major scale with the same key signature.
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Playing with Chords

The Sharp Minor Scales and Chords
10
1
10
E minor scale
4
2
B minor chord fingering
4
2
F# minor scale
E minor chord fingering
B minor scale
10
1
C# minor scale
F# minor chord fingering
6
4
C# minor chord fingering
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Minor Scales and

Chords (continued)
6
4
G# minor scale
G# minor chord fingering
8
6
D# minor scale
D# minor chord fingering
Just like the C# Major scale, the A# minor scale contains all sharp notes.
A# minor scale
8
6
A# minor chord fingering
TIP
Chords are grouped into chord progressions,
or a series of chords played over time. These
chord progressions are the basis of the vast
majority of songs you listen to today.
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Playing with Chords

The Flat Minor Scales and Chords
D minor scale
5
3
F minor scale
G minor chord fingering
5
3
C minor scale
D minor chord fingering
G minor scale
C minor chord fingering
3
1
F minor chord fingering
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Minor Scales and

Chords (continued)
3
1
B% minor scale
B% minor chord fingering
E% minor scale
E% minor chord fingering
As with the C% Major scale, the A% minor scale contains all flat notes.
A% minor scale
A% minor chord fingering
TIP
Memorize, then forget
Youll want to be able to play these scales
without having to think too much about
what notes youre playing. Commit these
notes to memory, and then try to make
your playing as natural as possible.
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Seventh
Chords
chapter
Playing with Chords
The most common addition to major

and minor chords is the seventh note,
or the VII note, from each scale. The
chords are the same, but each chord
has four notes instead of three.
seventh
fifth
third
root
Major Seventh Chords

Start with the C Major seventh chord tones, along with a sample fingering.
The fingering is just the same as the C Major chord; however, you use your ring finger to play the seventh of the scale as well.
Take a look at the rest of the major seventh chords now.
C Major seventh chord
D Major seventh chord
A Major seventh chord
E Major seventh chord
G Major seventh chord
B Major seventh chord
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Seventh
Chords (continued)
F# Major seventh chord
B% Major seventh chord
136
F Major seventh chord
E% Major seventh chord
D% Major seventh chord
C# Major seventh chord
G% Major seventh chord
A% Major seventh chord
C% Major seventh chord
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Playing with Chords

Minor Seventh Chords
In addition to the notes in the typical minor chord, the minor seventh chord includes the flat seventh found in the minor scale.
flat seventh
fifth
flat third
root
Create the A minor chord from the A minor scale. Look at this sample fingering above (right). Again, its just an additional
note to the familiar minor chord. Here are the additional minor seventh chords and fingerings.
T
A
B
T
A
B
E minor seventh chord
T
A
B
G# minor seventh chord
B minor seventh chord
T
A
B
F# minor seventh chord
T
A
B
C# minor seventh chord
T
A
B
D# minor seventh chord
137
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Seventh
Chords (continued)
T
A
B
T
A
B
A# minor seventh chord
T
A
B
T
A
B
E% minor seventh chord
138
C minor seventh chord
T
A
B
B% minor seventh chord
F minor seventh chord
T
A
B
D minor seventh chord
G minor seventh chord
T
A
B
T
A
B
A% minor seventh chord
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Playing with Chords

Seventh Chords
The last of the more common variety of seventh chords features the same notes as the major chords; however, the seventh note is flat. The chord is referred to as a seventh chord
only. No major or minor terminology is used. The Roman
numeral shorthand looks like this.
flat seventh
fifth
third
root
Take a look at the seventh chords. Notice how the seventh note is played one fret down from the C Major seventh chord.
T
A
B
T
A
B
C seventh chord
T
A
B
E seventh chord
G seventh chord
T
A
B
D seventh chord
T
A
B
A seventh chord
T
A
B
B seventh chord
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Seventh
Chords (continued)
T
A
B
T
A
B
F# seventh chord
B% seventh chord
T
A
B
D% seventh chord
T
A
B
C# seventh chord
T
A
B
F seventh chord
E% seventh chord
4
2
G% seventh chord
A% seventh chord
T
A
B
C% seventh chord
Youll notice in the last example that there are some notes with two flat notes next to it. This double flat means that youll
lower the note a whole step from the natural note, instead of a half-step. This sums up a great deal of the chords youll see
while playing popular music. There are many different scales and chord types used in modern musicthis book deals with
the more commonly used ones. Other chord types add notes such as the sixth or the ninth (the second note played an
octave higher). This book explains those types as it goes along.
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Arpeggios
chapter
Playing with Chords
The proper word for playing the notes of the chord one at a time is arpeggio (ar-pedge-ee-oh), but
youve already done this by playing the exercises in this chapter. Take these arpeggio exercises
youve been playing and put them into actual song form.
Some Simple Songs

SIMPLE SONG IN C MAJOR
This songs bass line is built entirely on the arpeggios for the chords. The bass guitars common role in music is to establish
the root note and outline the chord, and this bass line takes care of that in a simple but effective way.
CMaj
FMaj
CMaj
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
GMaj
FMaj
CMaj
Bass
Bass
3
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Arpeggios
(continued)
SIMPLE SONG IN A MINOR
Now, take a look at a minor chord example.
Amin
Dmin
Amin
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Emin
Dmin
Amin
Bass
Bass
142
10
1
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Playing with Chords

SIMPLE SONG IN G MAJOR
Finally, take a look at this simple song with a mixture of chords and arpeggio-based lines.
There are a few things to take note of in this bass line. First, although the song is in G Major, there are C seventh and D seventh chords in the song. Theres also a note that falls outside the normal scale associated with G Major. In this case, the B has
a flat symbol next to it to indicate that you play it one fret lower than normal. Again, this is known as an accidental (see
Chapter 7), and it means that all B notes in that specific measure only are played flat. The B notes in any of the upcoming
measures will be played as normal Bs, unless they have the flat accidental in front of them. Despite the different chords,
these arpeggios outline the song and give it character and definition. At its heart, this outlining is the role of the bass guitar.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
2
3
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Common Chord
Progressions
Although each song has its own character and personality, many tunes
share a common backbone. By learning several common chord progressions, you can give yourself a head start in playing with other musicians. Although youll encounter many different keys and chords, youll
still be ready to go.
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Chord Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146

Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
I-IV-V Progressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
I-VI-IV-V Progressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
More Chord Progressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
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Chord
Symbols
You looked at Roman numerals in preceding chapters as a way of describing the individual notes in
several different types of chords. Those numerals indicated the place in the scale where specific
notes fell, depending on the key of the song. These same Roman numerals can also be used to
describe the chords that occur in a song.
Expand Your Chord Knowledge
SAME STRUCTURE, DIFFERENT NOTES
By learning the overall structure of a song and understanding how to plug in different chords, you can easily recognize these
chord progressions and learn new songs quickly. You can also transpose a song into a new key with a minimum of effort. This
skill is especially valuable if youre dealing with a singer who might need to sing in a specific key. Just a quick adjustment, and
youll be able to play a wide variety of music with a wide variety of players. Note how the Roman numerals in the following
example outline the chord progression of the music.
IV
Youre already familiar with the Roman numerals, so you can match up the chords in the key of C Major with the Roman
numerals and see which chords are common.
C Major
I
D minor
ii
E minor
iii
F Major
IV
G Major
V
A minor
vi
B minor%5
vii
These basic chords commonly show up in the key of C Major. If you expand on these chords using notes common to the C
Major scale, you could expand the basics to the following extended chords.
C Major 7
I
D minor 7
ii
E minor 7
iii
F Major 7
IV
There are a couple of things to notice in this last chart. First,

chords with additional seventh notes in them are often abbreviated with a 7, as in C Major 7 or G7 (see Chapter 8 for more
about seventh chords). Second, youll also notice that there is
a chord in that list with a %5 following it. In that case, the
chord would have the fifth note in the scale played flat. For
example, the notes in an E minor 7%5 would be E, G, B flat,
and D.
146
G Major 7
V
A minor 7
vi
B minor 7%5
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Lets take a look at the common chords found in the key of G Major.
G Major 7
I
A minor 7
ii
B minor 7
iii
C Major 7
IV
D7
V
E minor 7
vi
F minor 7%5
vii
B% Major 7
IV
C7
V
D minor 7
vi
E minor 7%5
vii
And now look at the common chords in F Major.
F Major 7
I
G minor 7
ii
A minor 7
iii
Notice in this last list of chords that there are flats in two different places, meaning two different things. The flat in the B%
Major 7 chord refers to the naturally occurring fourth degree of the F Major scale: B%, and the seventh chord that is built off of
it. The flat in the E minor 7%5 appears before the note in that chord that it modifies and refers only to that fifth note of the
chord (in this case, again a B%, the flattened fifth degree of a triad that is built off E, the seventh degree of the F Major scale).
BREAK IT DOWN
Musicians often abbreviate these chord names even further to save time writing and to pack as much information as possible
into a small amount of space. For example, a major chord is often abbreviated as Maj, and a minor chord is shortened to
min. So if you saw D%min, youd know that was a D minor chord. Add the number 7 to the end, and youd get a D minor
seventh chord. Notes in extended chords would come after these symbols, as in Dmin7%5. Refer to the following chart for
reference.
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Chord Symbols
(continued)
Abbreviation/Symbol
Meaning
Reference to Following Chord Examples
Maj
Major
min
minor
dim
diminished (chord with a flat third and a flat fifth)
sus
chord includes the fourth note of the scale,

but not the third, giving the chord a suspended feeling
aug
augmented (chord includes the root, a major third,

and a sharp fifth)
%5
flatted fifth
sixth
seventh
ninth (the second note of the chords scale played an

octave up). Tip: A major ninth can be added to all
possible seventh chords for an interesting variation.
#5
sharp fifth
This is another name for an augmented

chord, so see e
%9
flatted ninth
#9
sharp ninth
The chord includes an eleventh (the fourth note of

the scale played an octave up; i.e. root, minor third,
fifth, flat seventh, ninth, eleventh)
The chord includes a sharp eleventh (root, major third,

fifth, major seventh, ninth, sharp eleventh)
Tip: Add a sharp 11th to major or dominant ninth
chords (these include a flat seventh) for an
interesting variation.
The chord includes a thirteenth (the sixth note of the

chords scale played an octave up; i.e. root, major third,
fifth, flat seventh, major ninth, sharp eleventh,
major thirteenth )
11
#11
13
FAQ
There are a great many variations on harmony once
you start using notes from the seventh and above.
This book cannot discuss all of these possibilities,
as many works have been dedicated to that subject
alone. Look for more advanced books on music
theory and harmony to study this subject further.
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a
chapter
Electric Bass
Bass
These abbreviations can be added to the Roman numerals to give more information to the basic structure. For example, a
IImin7 chord just requires you to play the second note of the keys scale to get the chord you should be playing along to. If
the key changes, the basic chord structure stays the same. Only the names of the notes have changed. The abbreviation gives
you all the additional information to build from there.
Dmin7
Emin7
These abbreviations are used in this and later chapters to show you common chord progressions. The job of the bassist is to
keep the rhythm of these songs while playing the notes that outline the chords of the songs. By reading these chords, youll
know which notes belong in that chord and what you should be playing.
You usually find these chords named just above the staff as a reference point for the musicians. The next section shows you
how to read these collections of symbols, commonly known as a chart.
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Charts
This common shorthand for written music can include many elements; however, the most common
feature of charts is the chord progressions of the song. Right now, the chords are shown centered
above the measures. Later, you will see these chords the way they are usually listedat the top-left
of a measure.
What the Symbols Mean
There might not be any written notes on the staff, but the chord symbols above the staff let you know what notes are likely to
be played in each measure (also known as a bar). In the example below, notice how theres no chord symbol above the second measure. That means that the chord symbol from the preceding measure applies to that one as well. In other words, this
section of the song is made up of two bars of CMaj, one bar of FMaj, and one bar of G7.
CMaj
FMaj
G7
Electric Bass
This type of chart locks the chord progression into the key of C Major. However, you might also see a chord chart that looks
like this example:
IMaj7
V7
VImin7
IVMaj
Electric Bass
By looking at this chord progression, you know the basic information of the song youre playing. The only information you
need at this point is the key of the song, which can change depending on the needs of the song or the performers. If youre
given the key of B Major, the chords become BMaj7, F#7, G#min7, and EMaj. Change the key to D, and you get DMaj7, A7,
Bmin7, and GMaj. This chord progression can be changed to whatever you need.
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You can also take a series of specific chords and create a generic chart from there with a little work. Take a look at the C
Major example used earlier and figure out the Roman numerals from there. From the key signature, you know that the CMaj
chord is based on the root note, so you can give that chord the first Roman numeral. In the C Major scale, F is the fourth
note, so that chord becomes IVMaj. G is the fifth note in that scale, so that chord becomes a V7. From there, you could write
the example this way:
IMaj
IVMaj
V7
Electric Bass
You might also see some charts with multiple chord symbols over one bar. That means that there are two or more chords
played during that measure. If you see something like this example, the first two beats of the measure use the first chord,
whereas the second two beats use the second chord.
IImin
V7
Electric Bass
If there are slashes underneath the chords (as in the example above), the slashes indicate each beat in that measure. In the
following example, the first chord is played over the first three beats, whereas the second chord is played over the fourth.
IImin
V7
Electric Bass
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Charts
(continued)
So What Do I Play?
As mentioned before, these charts might or might not
include actual written notes. If the notes are written, you
know exactly what youre supposed to play at any point in
time in the music, because the writer has a specific bass line
in mind. If you dont have any written notes, or if you just
have somebody telling you what chords to play, you have to
make it up as you go along.
First, remember that the bassists job is to define the basic
harmony of the song. You can never go wrong playing the
root of the chord, so always keep that note in mind as the
first option. Whether its GMaj or a Gmin7%5, the root of the
chord works.
From there, you can add chord tones or other notes to round
out the bass part. There should always be some melodic
content to the bass-line, even if its just one well chosen note
that leads melodically from one chord to the next. When
adding these notes, keep in mind the rhythm of the song as
well. Chapter 10 addresses common rhythms.
Honor these two commitments, and youll put together a

bass line that keeps the song interesting and holds down the
rhythm and beat of the music for the other instruments.
With these two principles in mind, take a look at some common chord structures youre likely to run into as you play.
With each example, try to look for the ways you could move,
or transpose, these progressions to different keys. The notes
might change, but the skeleton of the song remains the same.
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I-IV-V
Progressions
The I-IV-V combination is one of the

most common chord progressions in
popular music today. From a basic
blues song through early rock to
todays pop music, youre likely to run
into some variation of these chords.
IV
chapter
Electric Bass
The 12-Bar Blues

The name doesnt refer to the number of drinking establishments a musician is likely to visit in a weekend. The bar refers to
the measures of the song, and the number 12 tells you how many bars are in the song. Those 12 bars are repeated over
and over again until the song ends. At the end of the 12th bar, just go back to the beginning and play through it one more
time.
Take a look at the Roman numeral layout for a common blues progression:
Electric Bass
IV
IV
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I-IV-V Progressions
(continued)
This is the basic layout for a blues song. In the absence of any specifics to the chord, assume its a major chord. Plug in a
common key signature and see what those chords become.
Electric Bass
Youre likely to see this key in the blues, because its an easy one for guitars and basses to play in.
FACT
If youre looking for the history of the bass in blues music, theres
really only one name to start with. Not only is Willie Dixon well
respected as a bassist for artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf,
and Chuck Berry, but he also left a legacy as a songwriter and producer for Chess Records. He played the upright bass, but his songs
and lines apply just as well to the bass guitar. Seek out one of the
many versions of his songs (like Spoonful) and be amazed at the
legacy hes left to bassists and the blues in general.
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Now, Ill go ahead and put in some notes to show you a common way to play a 12-bar blues progression. Notice how these
notes both outline the chords in the progression and keep the rhythm of the song at the same time.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
Bass
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I-IV-V Progressions
(continued)
Now take a look at the same progression in the key of D, with some additional chord information. The chords are a little different now, and theres a return to the V chord at the end of the song. This is a fairly common occurrence because it adds
some more movement to the song and it indicates to both the listeners and the players that the progression is returning back
to the beginning, or the top, of the song.
D7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
D7
G7
Bass
Bass
3
A7
G7
D7
Bass
Bass
5
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Take a look at a minor blues progression with a little more variation. Beyond the minor tonality of the song, there are more
changes in the chords and more variety in the last bar of the song.
There are as many variations on blues progressions as there are people who play the blues, but this gives you a good idea of
what to look for in a basic blues progression. Memorize these basic forms, and when somebody calls out a key, youll be
ready to go.
Gmin7
Cmin7
Gmin7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3
Cmin7
Gmin7
Bass
Bass
Dmin7
Gmin7
Dmin7
Amin7
Bass
Bass
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I-IV-V Progressions
(continued)
Other I-IV-V Progressions
Blues songs arent the only place youre likely to see these chords. For example, look at this progression with a 1960s British
pop influence.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
1
Play these notes with a quick, choppy style to emphasize that feel. In musical terminology, this is called a staccato feel (the
dots under the notes indicate staccato). There is a precise beginning and end to each note. Notice how the chords are the
same, but the structure and the notes change the feel of the song greatly.
You might also see this progression in different time signatures. The longer notes seem to make the progression glide along,
and the time signature gives it a folksy feel, similar to a waltz.
E
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
0
Bass
Bass
0
Play these notes with a longer, lingering style; in other words, hold them for their full count before releasing them to play the next
note. Try to leave no gaps at all between notes. This is known as a legato feel. The notes almost seem to blend into each other.
No matter what styles or rhythms are applied to this progression, youll find that this common progression shows up in many
of your favorite songs. Once you make playing this structure familiar to your ears and your hands, youll be ready to play a
great deal of material.
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I-VI-IV-V
Progressions
chapter
Another common chord progression

adds a minor chord to the familiar
I-IV-V chords. Its a very natural
progression, used extensively in rock
and pop music from the 50s to today.
I
vi
IV
Adding a Minor Chord

The I-IV-V progression contains mainly major or seventh chords, at least in the major keys. In this progression, the vi chord
naturally implies a minor tonality and often will be denoted by a minus sign next to it, i.e. VI. For example, in the C Major
scale, the vi chord would be A minor (the relative minor of the C Major scale). A sample I-vi-IV-V progression in C Major looks
like this.
CMaj
Amin
FMaj
G7
Emin
CMaj
D7
Dmin
B%Maj
C7
Electric Bass
In the G Major scale, the progression looks like this.

GMaj
Electric Bass
In F Major, the I-vi-IV-V looks like this.
FMaj
Electric Bass
You can take these generic chords and apply them to every other major key and expand the chords from there. Again, the V
naturally lends itself to a seventh chord (and is the naturally occurring seventh chord built off the fifth degree of every major
scale), and the vi chord lends itself to a minor tonality (as a minor seventh chord is the naturally occurring seventh chord built
off the sixth degree of every major scale).
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I-VI-IV-V Progressions
(continued)
Following the Movement
This progression is a good time to look at using notes that lead from chord to chord in a song. A bassist uses these tones to
indicate that a chord change is coming and to add interest to the song. Take a look at a sample of this chord progression with
just the root notes written.
CMaj
Amin
FMaj
G7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Now, take a look at this same example with the last notes changed to lead toward the next chord.
CMaj
Amin
FMaj
G7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
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These leading tones indicate what the next chord will be. They come between the chord tones on the keys scale, so it
sounds natural as you play these notes to get from chord to chord. It gives the bass line a sense of motion and interest, but it
also maintains its responsibility to hold down the rhythm and tonality of the chord progression.
Take a look at this progression with some chord tones in addition to the leading tones.
CMaj
Amin
FMaj
G7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
Notice in this case how the notes move in the opposite direction of the previous examples, but they still contain the same
scale notes as the other examples. The notes are basically the same, but the direction makes it a different song.
Also look in this case at passing tones, or notes that dont necessarily appear in the scale but still add some interest and
motion to the bass line.
CMaj
Amin
FMaj
G7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
Even when the notes dont appear in the scale, they give the bass line some movement and make the music sound interesting. When a note falls outside the scale, it gives the song a little character and keeps it from sounding too structured or formal. Again, making sure that these notes are melodic and support the rest of the song are the things to keep in mind when
choosing to use chromatic passing tones. Be judicious! Sometimes its okay to break the rules.
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More Chord
Progressions
There are many ways to organize and present the chords in any given scale. Songwriters have had a
lot of time to experiment with combinations of these chords to make new and different songs.
Besides the progressions youve looked at up to this point (I-IV-V and I-vi-IV-V), there are some
other common progressions that show up from time to time in songs.
Other Chord Progressions
II-V-I PROGRESSION
The ii-V-I progression doesnt often turn up as the main structure of a song. More often, it shows up in traditional jazz songs
as whats called a turnaround, or a set of chord changes that indicates that the chord progression is returning to the beginning of the musical phrase that its a part of.
ii
Electric Bass
Take a look at that progression in C Major.

Dmin
G7
CMaj
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
162
T
A
B
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chapter
Most often, the ii chord implies a minor chord, whereas the V implies a seventh chord. This progression could also be played
this way.
Dmin7
G7
CMaj
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
In a minor key, the ii-V-I could be played this way.

Dmin7%5
G7
Cmin
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
3
The ii chord is still minor, although the fifth note in that chord is played flat. The V chord remains a seventh chord and the
I chord remains minor. Getting the sound of this turnaround in your head helps you play a great many songs.
I-VI-II-V PROGRESSION
This progression (I-vi-ii-V) adds another minor chord to the ii-V-I progression and gives it a little more movement. This progression might also sound familiar, although a little old-timey.
DMaj
Bmin
E7
AMaj
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Dont always look for those patterns. Songs can have chord progressions that move up in half- or whole-steps, and some
chords might not even have notes beyond the root and fifth notes (this is often referred to as a power chord, and its especially popular with rock and metal guitarists). So although not all songs follow these simple patterns mentioned above, these
patterns are really important and common building blocks in many, many songs. Looking for these patterns will help you see
when they occur and help you develop your ear to hear not only them, but other chords besides.
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10
Basic Rhythms
A pop song, a reggae song, and a jazz song can have the same chord
progressions and notes. Its the rhythm of each song that gives it character and personality. Part of the bass guitars responsibility is defining
that rhythm, and this chapter breaks down the basic concepts of rhythm
and how to improve your natural sense of time: musician-speak for
sense of timing and rhythm. It also gives you several different examples
of the rhythms unique to many genres of music, so youll be better prepared to play whatever type of music you love.
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The Metronome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

Quarter Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Eighth Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Sixteenth Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Applying Rhythms to Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
Walking Bass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Blues Shuffle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194
R&B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198
Reggae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202
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The
Metronome
Throughout all of the exercises in this
book, the metronome is both your
guide and your traffic cop. This device
provides a clear, steady, and uncluttered beat for you to play along with.
By practicing with the metronome,
you get a good sense of the beats
exact location and what you need to
work on.
How to Use the Metronome

The metronome produces a click on every beat at the speed you set.
Usually, this ranges from somewhere around 70 to 220 bpm, or beats per
minute. For reference, youll find that most dance music falls around 120
bpm, whereas most ballads and slow music range from 85 to 95 bpm.
Fast rock comes in around 145 bpm and up, and youll find speeds
upward of 180 bpm in genres such as speed metal and punk.
The most common way to use the metronome is to play on every beat
the metronome plays. Try this exercise to get comfortable with playing on
the beat.
1 Set the metronome speed to 90 bpm.

2 Fret the C note on the A string.
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Basic Rhythms
10
chapter
3 Play a C on each click of the metronome.

4 When you feel comfortable at that tempo, move up the tempo in 5 bpm
increments.
The metronome beat seems to disappear when youre playing

directly on the beat. If you hear the click happening before or
after you play the note, you need to bring your playing back in
line with the tempo. If youre playing before the click, youre
playing too quickly. If youre playing after the click, youre playing too slowly. Adjust your speed accordingly.
For all of the exercises in this book, play along with the
metronome and concentrate on maintaining the correct
tempo as you play. Youll develop a better sense of rhythm
and time as you go.
TIP
Before you start to play, try listening to the
metronome and count the tempo along with the
click. This helps you internalize the rhythm and
better understand the beat.
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Quarter
Notes
Now that youre familiar with the workings of the metronome and how to play along with it, start
out with some basic quarter-note rhythms. You should already be familiar with these because these
steady notes are what you practiced with the scales and chords earlier in this book.
Quarter-Note Rhythms
Play the following example to get used to playing with a chord change and the metronome at the same time. Remember,
start slow (at around 95 bpm) and go up from there only after youre able to play all of the notes clearly and consistently.
CMaj
Amin
FMaj
G7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
CMaj
Amin
Dmin
G7
Bass
Bass
In the example at the top of the next page, theres a rest on the second beat of each measure. That means that you dont play
a note on the second beat of each bar; however, the tempo of the other notes must remain the same. Get used to leaving
some space while playing, and dont anticipate playing the third beat in the measure. The chord change is also a little different.
TIP
Rhythm is as much a function of what you dont play and where as
what notes you choose to play. Remember that a little extra space in
the right place makes the song move along and gives it character.
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10
chapter
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Bass
Bass
3
5
If you play on the first and third beats, as in the exercise that follows, youll get a familiar sound. This type of rhythm is used
in different genres of music the world over, from country to polka. Its a good idea to get used to playing this one because
youre liable to use it a great deal in whatever type of music you choose to play.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Bass
Bass
3
5
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Quarter
Notes (continued)
Now take out the notes on beats two and three. Theres a lot more space in the music; the note on the fourth beat serves
almost to announce the next measure.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Bass
Bass
3
5
Finally, try the following example in 3/4 time. There are three quarter notes per measure here. Youll likely find this feel in
waltzes or folk music, along with some jazz songs.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Bass
Bass
Each of these examples gets you used to playing along with the metronome and feeling a rhythm beyond what the clicks are
playing. Practice these in several different tempos to get used to them and feel how they change at different speeds.
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Eighth
Notes
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As the name implies, there are eight of this type of note in a 4/4 measure of music. In odd-meter tempos, such as 3/4 or 5/4, there are double the top number of these notes per measure. If the emphasis
of the time signature is on eighth notes, such as 6/8 or 12/8, there are as many eighth notes as the
top number in the time signature. Remember overall that the upper number represents the number of
beats in a measure, and the lower number represents the note value that receives one beat.
Straight Eighth-Note Rhythms
In this example, you play two notes per beat, as shown by the count underneath the notes. Make sure each note gets an
equal amount of time when you play.
Electric Bass
qr = q
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4&

Electric Bass
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Start with the bpm setting on the metronome at around 85 and work your way up from there. Straight eighth notes are a
common feature of rock music, where the rhythm gives the song a driving force. Try it with a C Major scale, using two eighth
notes for each note of the scale.
1 Start at around 85 bpm and go faster from there.

2 Try moving other scales into similar eighth-note patterns.
3 Count the beats out loud to help you keep track of where you are. Say one-and-two-and-three-and-four where the numbers fall on
the beat of the metronome.
4 Move on only when each note is clear and distinct.

Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3 5 5
2 2 3 3
5 5
2 2 4 4 5 5
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Eighth Notes
(continued)
Follow the same directions in playing the
scale with just one eighth note per note of the
scale.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Also play the arpeggios from previous examples in eighth-note patterns, as shown in this
example.
3 5
2 3 5
2 4 5
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3
2 2 5 5
5 5
Now put some rests in the exercises. In this example, play two eighth notes on the first and third beats. Keep counting the
beats out loud, but play notes only when you say one-and and three-and.
Electric Bass
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1& 2& 3& 4&
Electric Bass
3 3
172
3 3
5 5
5 5
2 2
2 2
5 5
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Pay close attention to the beat count in this next example. Notice where the rests fall in each grouping of four eighth notes.
Give each note and rest its full value, so that it seems that the fourth eighth note is anticipating the next note.
Electric Bass
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1& 2 & 3 & 4&
Electric Bass
3 3
3 33
3 5 5
5 55
2 2
2 22
5 5
5 55
5 3
Give this example a little bit more space. Count out the beats and play only
1
2
3
4
Beat 1
The and of beat 2
Beat 3
The and of beat 4
Electric Bass
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1& 2 & 3&4 &
Electric Bass
3
3 3
5 5
2 2
5 5
Again, the eighth notes on the and beats anticipate the main beats, a common occurrence in many popular styles of music.
Remember to give each note and rest its proper value.
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Eighth Notes
(continued)
Dotted Eighth-Note Rhythms
If you were to hold the first eighth note until it was time to play the next eighth note, elongating the value, it would be written out like this:
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
5 5
5 5
5 5
5 5
q. = eee
Notice the dot following the quarter note. A dotted note means it gets an additional one-half-beat value. Therefore, a dotted quarter note receives the same
value as three eighth notes.
You often see these kind of notes in pop or folk music, where the dotted quarter notes provide a solid foundation and the
eighth notes often signal a change to a new chord. Look at this example in a familiar chord progression to get the feel. Again,
count the beats out loud.
A
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
174
5 5
5 5
7 7
5 5
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Try playing this example that includes dotted quarter notes and straight eighth-note sections as well.
A
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5 5
7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Eighth notes are also commonly found in three-note groups, or triplets. This means that although the beat count doesnt
changein this case a 4/4 time signaturethe music gets almost a 3/4 feel over that beat count. You play three notes per
metronome click in the following example. Take a look at this diagram to help get this triplet feel.
C
3
A
3
C
3
A
3
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 33
5 5 5 5 55 5 5 5 5 55
3 3 3 3 33 3 33 3 33
This might seem familiar to those who have heard Irish or Scottish folk music. Its also
similar to the feel of some blues songs, although that feel is more commonly notated in
12/8 time, where each eighth note gets its own beat.
Youll also run into cases where note values are
combined to create some rhythmic interest;
however, theyll be written with ties. Ties link
two or more notes, putting all of their beat values together while keeping the notation in a
familiar written form.
Try this exercise to get the feel of tied notes.
Start slow and count out each note until you get
the feel of the passage down.
5 55 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 55
qr
Y = q
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
1 1 1
1 1 1
1 1 1
1 1 1
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Eighth Notes
(continued)
Youll also see instances where notes are tied across measure lines, so that the note carries across the first beat of the next
bar. Look at this example, again starting slow and counting out loud each eighth note.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Combine the two examples, and you get something that feels like this:
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5
5 5
5 5 5 5
5 5
FACT
Practice this and count out the beats until this style of playing becomes natural to you.
Eventually, youll be able to stop counting the beats and just play this rhythm correctly.
This musical example has a syncopated feel to it, in that beats that dont normally receive
emphasis are doing so now. Syncopation is a standard feature of modern popular music, so
learning to shift the emphasis in rhythms to other beats is an important skill for a bassist.
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Sixteenth
Notes
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An even smaller subdivision of rhythm is the sixteenth note. As you can probably tell by the name,
16 of these can be found per one 4/4 measure of music. If your music has an odd time signature,
such as 3/4 or 7/4, multiply the top number by 4 to get the maximum number of sixteenth notes.
If the time signature is based on eighth notes, as in 6/8, just multiply the top number by two.
There are time signatures based on sixteenth notes, but they are rare.
Sixteenth-Note Rhythms
Four sixteenth notes equal two eighth notes, equal one quarter note.
qttt = qr = q
Its important to start slow in this next example because you play four notes per beat in this example. Its essential that you
start out playing this cleanly and evenly because its easy to develop bad habits and then gloss over them by just speeding up
the tempo. Keep this in mind as you play.
Each note should be clear.

Each note should get the same amount of time.
Use precise fingering or picking while playing. Make sure that you strictly alternate your index and middle fingers or your
up-and-down picking strokes with your plucking hand.
Start at a bpm setting of around 75 on your metronome and work your way up from there.
Electric Bass
1 2 3 4 2 2 3 43 2 34 4 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 2 2 3 43 2 3 4 4 2 34 1 2 3 42 2 3 4 3 2 3 44 2 3 4
Electric Bass
1 1 1 11 1 11 1 1 1 11 1 11
3 3 3 3 33 3 33 3 33 3 33 3 5 5 5 5 5 55 5 55 5 55 5 55
Bass
123 4 2 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 4 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 2 2 3 4 3 2 3 4 4 2 3 4
Bass
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
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Sixteenth
Notes (continued)
It might help to count out the beats as you play. Try saying One-e-and-a-Two-e-and-a and so on as you go. Again, this helps
you internalize the beat as you go, so that eventually you feel the beat without having to count it out.
Now apply these sixteenth-note rhythms to scales. In this case, start with the A minor scale. Play the ascending A minor scale
with four sixteenth notes per scale note, as shown in this example.
1 Start with the metronome set at around

75 bpm.
2 Count out each beat while you play.

3 Make sure each note is clear and dis-
Electric Bass
tinct.
4 Try the other scales as you progress
Electric Bass
5 5 55 7 7 7 7 88 8 8
5 5 5 5
7 7 77 8 88 8
5 5 5 5 7 77 7
through this exercise.

Try the arpeggios for each chord as well, following the same guidelines as in the preceding example. (See Chapter 8 for a refresher
on arpeggios.) Start with the A minor arpeggio and go from there.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5 55 8 8 88
As you might imagine, sixteenth notes

and their corresponding rests come and
go pretty quickly. In this example, keep
counting out the beats but dont play
where the rests are indicated. This
piece starts easily enough by just playing the first two sixteenth notes in each
four-note group.
178
7 7 77
7 7 77
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5
7 7
8 8
5 5
7 7
8 8
5 5
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This approach emphasizes the beginning of each beat, making the music
passage seem very quick and intense.
By adding in another sixteenth note, it
eases the music along a little and
makes it seem a little more flowing.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5
5 77
7 8 8
5 5
7 7
7 88
5 5
5 77
More Dotted Rhythms

Youll often see dotted eighth notes along with sixteenth notes, with each
dotted eighth note taking the place of three sixteenth notes.
e. = xxx
From rock to pop to metal, youre likely to encounter passages that look something like this:
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
55
55
55
5 3
33
33
33
3 1
11
11
11
1 3
33
33
33
3 5
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Sixteenth
Notes (continued)
You can also invert the note groupings to give the passage a feel like the one shown here:
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5
5 5
5 5
5 5
3 3
3 3
3 3
3 3
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
33
33
33
33
Compare that feeling to straight sixteenth notes in this example:
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5
5 5
5 5
5 5
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
1 1
Bass
Bass
1
180
1 1
1 1
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Count out each beat until youre familiar with how that rhythm feels. Now add in some straight eighth notes to compare
those feels.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 33
3 3 3 3 3 3 33
3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
5 5 3 3 5 5 1 1
This grouping of eighth notes and sixteenth notes is also common. It alternates between sixteenth and eighth notes quickly,
but it retains a straight beat count. Keep counting out loud and it should be easy to remember.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
5 5 5
5 5 5
5 5 5
5 5 5
Bass
Bass
3 3
3 3
3 3
3 3
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Sixteenth
Notes (continued)
That feel can also be reversed, as shown in this example:
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3
33 3 3 33
33 3 3 3
33 3 3 33
33 3 3 3 5
55 5 5 55
55 5 5 5
Bass
Bass
This example is a little tricky; however, keep counting the beats out loud and realize that the eighth note in the middle is just
like combining two sixteenth notes.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3 3 33 33 3 3 33 3 2 2 2 22 22 2 2 22 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bass
Bass
2 2
2 2 2
2 2 2
2 2 2
3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
Now try the sixteenth notes over a 3/4 time signature. Keep counting out the beats, but realize that there are only three
groups of four sixteenth notes per measure.
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Finally, try this sixteenth-note example using ties that cross the bar lines.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3
3 3
3 3
3 3
3 3
3 3
3 3
Bass
Bass
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
3 3 3
Sixteenth notes are usually the smallest subdivision of rhythm in most popular music. Remember that no matter what you
run across, everything can be counted as a part of the overall rhythm, and that these rhythms feel more natural the more you
practice them. Repeated practice helps you greatly here as the more you play these rhythms, the more you internalize them.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3 3 3 3 3 33 3 3 33
5 5 5 5 5 5 55 5 5 5 5
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bass
Bass
3
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Applying Rhythms
to Songs
Each genre of music has types of
rhythms that are closely associated
with its basic nature. When you hear
these rhythms, its easy to associate
these songs with a certain kind of
music. Changing a songs rhythm can
quickly give it a new personality, even
more so than changing the key of the
song.
How to Distinguish Rhythms

Think of the difference when you give a heavy rock song a slower, reggae rhythm. The notes might not have changed, but its
certainly a different piece of music now. Thats why learning several different rhythms makes you a more well-rounded player.
Youll be ready for many different musical situations if you can convincingly play different rhythms. Following these steps
helps you get a better idea of whats going on inside the song.
LISTEN
By exposing yourself to several different types and styles of
music, youre hearing these rhythms in action. Its like a case
study of what to play and what to avoid. Through careful listening, you get a sense of what tempos and rhythms work
best in what styles of music. You also get a better sense of
what separates certain genres of music, and what closely
relates them.
Because jazz and blues share common roots, you might see
some commonalities. Reggae rhythms have a fairly unique
identity apart from country music, so you can learn something
from that as well. Listen closely and learn the traits.
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COUNT IT OUT
When it comes down to it, every rhythm
can be broken down to a series of numbers. Whether its easy to count out or it
takes some time to dissect, you should
be able to count out the number of
beats per measure.
It might seem elementary, but clapping
or counting out loud along with the
song gives you a good indication of
where the beats are and how many
there are per measure. When you know
where the major beats lie, you are better able to analyze the smaller rhythms
inside the song.
FEEL IT
As you listen to each type of music, take
note of how each rhythm feels and
even makes you want to move. Youll
know youre playing the rhythm right
when you get that same feeling. Even
with all the counting, its really how the rhythm feels that you want to capture accurately.
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Walking
Bass
Walking bass is the slang term given to playing a steady quarter-note rhythm throughout the entire
song. The term walking comes from the strong and purposeful notes played by the bass, like somebody walking steadily, through the entire song.
WHERE YOU WALK

Walking bass is most often found in jazz, where the steady rhythm and the ability to easily outline chords give songs a stable
foundation for other musicians to improvise over. However, its also useful in styles such as blues or rock where a solid base
is helpful as well.
CMaj
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
The example above shows two important functions of the walking bassline. It outlines the chord being played and it provides
a steady rhythm to the music.
YOUR FIRST STEPS

When you first start learning to walk a bass line, its a good idea to start with the root of the chord as your first note in any
measure. This firmly establishes the chord being played. From there, its usually a good idea to play a strong chord tone, like
the third or fifth note of the arpeggio, on the third beat of the measure to further emphasize the chord. On beats two and
four, you can either choose other chord tones, or choose notes called passing tones that arent chord tones and dont necessarily even work with the chord but give the bass line direction (either up or down) and make it a little more interesting.
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Look at this simple blues progression and follow this walking bass line to demonstrate these concepts.
CMaj
FMaj
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
0
3
CMaj
G7
FMaj
3
1
CMaj
Bass
Bass
Notice how the first note in the first measure is C, emphasizing the root of the chord.
The chord tones lead toward the octave note of C at the beginning of the second measure.
The notes are different in the third and fourth measure, but the general character of the line remains the same.
Notice how the notes in the fourth measure lead up to the chord change in the fifth measure.
After two measures of walking in F, the bass line leads back to C.
The line walks through the rest of the song using the same principles, going through more bars of C, G, and F.
Notice how the notes in the last measure dont resolve the chord, but instead indicate that the form is getting ready to
repeat itself.
This simple line gives you a good example of how to walk a bass line through a simple chord progression. Remember that
this isnt the only way to play a walking bass line, however. In fact, part of the appeal of a walking bass line is that its usually
never the same way twice. The bassist can change the direction of the bass line to fit the direction of a soloist, or he or she
can make subtle changes to the chords to make things a little more interesting. There are no hard-and-fast rules to playing a
walking bass line, so play around with it and see what sounds good and what you should avoid.
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Walking Bass
(continued)
The next example uses a different chord structure and adds some rhythmic variation to the line. Although the emphasis is still
on the quarter-note pulse, there are small rests and sixteenth notes that propel the bass line. It gives the part a little spice
without disrupting the overall groove.
GMaj
CMaj
Emin
GMaj
D7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3
35
CMaj
Emin
3 5
Amin
D7
5
0
Amin
D7
Bass
Bass
33
GMaj
D7
CMaj
Emin
GMaj
D7
Bass
Bass
0 3
2 3
Again, the G at the beginning of the song defines the chord, but the chord changes come a little bit more quickly in this song.
Because the chords change more quickly, the line moves from one chord to the next and leads the other instruments
more directly.
The rhythmic variations tend to center around dotted eighth notes and sixteenth notes.
This song has A and B sections. The A section follows a IMaj-VImin-IVMaj-V7 pattern, whereas the B section follows a
IImin-V7 structure. The overall song follows an A-B-A pattern.
Notice how the last measure of the song resolves to the root of the chord, helping to signal the end of the song.
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Compared to the first example, this line has a little bit more swing. Swing is a term thats hard to define, but youll know
when you hear it. Its loosely based on a triplet feel; however, the notes arent played exactly on that kind of count. The only
way to accurately convey the feel of swing is to listen to classic examples of it. Find music by Count Basie, Duke Ellington,
Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis from the 1940s through the 1960s to start with, and youll get a good idea of
how swing should sound. Especially pay attention to recordings featuring bassists such as Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, and
Ray Brown. They are masters of swing.
This last example follows two II-V-I patterns strung together, the first in A and the second in G. Notice that although the root
doesnt change from one chord to the next, the notes surrounding those root tones do. Pay attention to how the chords shift
and how the bass line handles it.
Bmin
E7
AMaj
Amin
D7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
GMaj
Emin
A7
DMaj
Bass
Bass
3
This example is different because the chord doesnt start on the key of the song. Still, the first note identifies the chord.
Songs dont always have to start on the key of the song.
When the chord changes around the same root note, its important to emphasize the notes that arent shared by the
chords. Play the third and seventh notes to outline the change.
The art of walking a bass line is a topic too vast to cover in one chapter, and many books and videos have been devoted to
analyzing it. This gives you a good start in walking, however, and practicing these concepts will aid you greatly along the way.
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Blues
Shuffle
A style related to the swing feel, but with its own character, is the blues shuffle. Not all blues songs
feel like this; however, its a common rhythm, and one that you should get under your fingers in
the beginning.
Get It Down
Although these kinds of lines are usually written in eighth notes for the sake of convenience, you should read the rhythm as groups of triplet eighth notes with the first
two notes tied. Dont try to be extremely precise with the triplets; instead, give the
first eighth note in each group a little more time than the second one. Practice this
rhythm with the metronome beginning at around 90 bpm.
qr = qrr
Yc
When youve got the shuffle feeling down, look at the following examples of full songs. These are typical patterns for the
blues shuffle feel. They still outline the chords of the songs; however, the lines are more repetitious than those found in walking bass lines. When youve learned the pattern, you just have to move it from chord to chord to keep the song going. Its an
easy concept, but its essential that you have the feeling of the rhythm down to make the song sound right.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5
4 4 7 7 4 4
5 5
4 4 7 7 4 4
Theres less variation in these kinds of bass lines than in walking bass lines; however, feel free to add some small rhythmic or
harmonic variations as you go through. Although you have to keep the songs structure intact, theres room for fills, or small
changes at the end of sections of the songs. They add a little variety to the bass line, and they can also serve to show when
one part of the song is ending and another is beginning. In this way, theyre almost a signal to the other musicians that something is going to change, so they should be ready for it.
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Blues Shuffle Examples
The first example is pretty straightforward. Start out at a slower tempo and work your way up. This type of rhythm works at all
tempos. When you play it quickly, it takes on an almost bouncing feel. When you play it slow, the rhythm takes on a dragging
nature characteristic of the blues.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
Bass
Bass
5
7
5
Bass
Bass
5
7
5
Notice how the pattern repeats itself throughout the song.

The pattern still outlines the chord notes, although it avoids notes such as the third and sixth in each scale. The seventh
note is a common feature in blues patterns, although its usually flat and not a major.
Keep the shuffle feel going through the song. You and the drummer are responsible for making sure a smooth and
steady shuffle is maintained.
Notice how the last measure goes to the V7 chord again. This chord indicates a turnaround back to the beginning of the pattern.
Keeping this pattern consistent and even through the song is your goal.
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Blues Shuffle
(continued)
This next example highlights some small rhythmic variations and shows where fills can be used.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3
5 5 4 4 3
5 5 4 4 3
6 6 3 3
6 6 3 3
5 5 4 4 3
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 11
6 6
Bass
Bass
5 4
4 3
6 6 3
5 4
4 3
6 6
5 4
4 3
6 6 3
5 4
4 3
6 6
Bass
Bass
5 5
3 3
5 5 4 4
3 3 3 3 3 3
0 1
3 3
5 5 4 4 3
6 6 5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5
The chords are now minor instead of seventh chords, and the darker nature of the pattern is emphasized by regularly
using the flatted fifth note.
By inserting more sixteenth notes into the pattern, the rhythms are a little more interesting.
There are a couple of additional chord changes in this pattern. These substitutions are typical of blues songs, and you
should get used to hearing these variations.
Notice how there are more variations in the bass line at the ends of measures 4, 9, and 10. These fills help indicate
changes coming on and add some interest to the song.
As you might have noticed in the last two examples, the major and minor thirds arent stressed in the previous examples.
Seventh chords are more common, where the major nature of the third note is tempered by the flat seventh in the chord.
Minor chords also work especially well.
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This last example demonstrates a compund time signature often found in the blues. Dont worry about the change too much,
however. This 12/8 feel is a natural progression from the shuffle rhythms youve learned so far in this section. The triplet feel
over a steady pulse even remains the same, although the emphasis is on eighth notes in groups of three now. Keep counting
the rhythm in four beats, but give each beat three eighth notes.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Bass
Bass
7 5
5
Bass
Bass
Notice how the dotted quarter notes each seem to occupy one beat. This sets the feel for the rest of the song.
The note patterns change from dotted quarter notes to quarter and eighth notes in the second section of the song. Keep
the shuffle feel here.
The song moves away from 12 bars to 8 bars. This is another common variation on the blues form, so learn to play
along with this at different tempos as well.
The blues has been around for quite awhile, so there are many more variations to learn. If you want to pick up more, listen to
classic blues bassists such as Willie Dixon and newer masters such as Tommy Shannon to get an idea of whats possible.
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Rock
The bass guitar usually plays two roles in rock music. As in other genres, it can play a supportive
role through an individual bass part. Or it can play the same basic part as the guitar. That part is
known as a riff, or a repetitive figure or part that makes up a section of the song.
What Distinguishes Rock Bass

STRAIGHT EIGHTH NOTES
The following example shows a simple but common type of bass line in rock music. As opposed to the shuffle feel of the
blues, these eighth notes should be played exactly as written. Play this section repeatedly, increasing the tempo as you go.
Amin
Amin
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5 5
5 5
3 3
5 5
5 5 5
5 5
3 3
5 5
5 5
5 5
At slower tempos, try practicing this section with a staccato feel and palm muting. This is a common usage in rock
music.
As you speed up, make sure to give each note equal value.
The guitar could be doing several different parts over this kind of bass line. No matter what happens, its important to
maintain the consistent pulse and feel.
The end of the bar of D in this bass line would be a good place to practice possible fills. Try playing additional notes,
such as A or G, in this section to give it a little variety. Maintain the eighth-note pulse in any case, no matter what other
notes you play.
At the top of the next page, youll find a good example of a bass line that maintains its own pulse, independent of what the
guitar is playing. View this next example as an independent bass line from the early days of rock and roll. This part would be
at home in Fifties rock and roll or rockabilly styles.
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Electric Bass
Electric Bass
1 1
0 0
0 0 3 3
1 1 0 0
3 3 0 0
1 1
0 0 3 3
0 0
1 1 0 0
3 3 0 0
Bass
Bass
1 1
0 0 3 3
0 0
1 1 0 0
3 3 0 0
1 1
0 0 3 3
0 0
1 1 0 0
3 3 0 0
Bass
Bass
3 3
2 2 5 5 2 2
1 1
0 0 3 3 0 0
1 1
0 0 3 3
1 1
3 3 3 3
As with the preceding example, play these eighth notes straight, without a shuffle feel.
This pattern outlines more of the chord than the preceding pattern, but it still allows the guitar to play a different part.
This pattern doesnt allow for as many fills. Its important to keep this feel consistent.
These two examples give you a good idea of how to drive along a bass line in a rock song, be it a classic or a more modern
tune. When building your own rock bass line, its a good idea to stick to the root in the beginning; but you can expand from
there to notes within the chord.
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(continued)
RIFFS
The riff has been used from the classic rock of Led Zeppelin to the more modern rock and metal of Metallica and others. If
youve heard songs like Iron Man, Sunshine of Your Love, and Smoke on the Water, youve heard classic examples of the
riff. The guitar and the bass guitar join together to play a single repetitive figure in a song, making the pattern seem that much
bigger.
In most cases, the guitar plays a single note line or simple chords for this riff, and the bass guitar plays the root notes of that
guitar line. If the guitarist starts a solo or another rhythm part, the bass guitar usually sticks with the riff, although it might add
some more notes or slight rhythmic variations to fill out some of the space in the song.
Take a look at this riff and imagine a guitarist playing along with you.
Emin
Bmin
Emin
Bmin
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
0
3 0
3 3 3 2
2 2 2 5 5
0 0
3 3 3 2
2 2
55
2 2 2
Notice how the pattern extends beyond one measure.

This pattern is in a minor key; however, you can see riffs that follow many different keys and chord structures.
Concentrate on playing this example as precisely as possible. Remember, youre likely to play it with other musicians.
Once youve got the basic riff down, you can experiment with fills and variations. This is useful if youre playing the riff by
yourself, during a solo section for another instrument. Keep the basic structure of the riff down, however. You want to
maintain the song, not fly off the handle.
This next example is a bit trickier. There are additional rests and quicker notes in this example. Again, make sure that you
learn it exactly because youre going to be playing with other musicians and you want to sound as tight as possible.
Amin
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
196
0 3
2 2
33 3
0 3
3 3 2 2
2 33 3
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Count along with this beat as you play to keep your place. The placement of the rests can throw you off.
Again, this example is in a minor key. Notice how the flat sixth notes in the riff give it a darker and edgier tone. This is a
staple of hard rock and metal.
The riffs use of rests gives the rhythm syncopation, which means that the riff emphasizes beats other than the first and third
beats in a measure. Its something you hear in the vast majority of rock music, as well as other genres such as R&B, blues,
and jazz.
LISTEN UP
The term rock music includes everything
from Elvis Presley to Nirvana. All of its various
subgenres and divisions makes for a dizzying
amount of music lumped under one name.
These lines dont begin to explore the genius
of bassists such as Paul McCartney, John
Entwhistle, Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones, and
many others, each with their own individual
quirks and styles.
Although your goal should be eventually to
sound like your own player instead of a clone
of another famous musician, its important to
listen to your favorite music and try to understand what the bassist is doing in these songs.
Whether theyre playing their own line or riffing along with the guitarist, find out why and
how they did it. Itll make you a better player.
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R&B
Although the letters stand for
rhythm and blues, R&B has gone
on to define much more than just a
combination of bluesy sounds and
steady rhythms. R&B includes classic
soul, funk, and modern R&B songs
under one large umbrella.
What Distinguishes R&B Bass

SOUL
The best in soul music stretches from the Motown sounds of Detroit through the famous Stax rhythm section in Memphis
through Alabamas Muscle Shoals. Take a look at these examples to get a feel for whats going on in soul music.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
2 2
2 2
2 2
4 4
4 4
2 4
This bass line has a swing to it similar to jazz or blues. Remember that feel when you play the line.
Soul music is based on syncopation, so remember to count out the beat to keep the time.
This music is bouncy and happy (most of the time). Keep that emotion in mind as you play.
FACT
Some Famous R&B Bassists
198
James Jamerson
Donald Duck Dunn
David Hood
Chuck Rainey
George Porter, Jr.
Jerry Jemmot
Bob Babbitt
Tommy Cogbill
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The preceding is an example of how a Motown bass line might sound. The next line an example of Memphis soul.
Amin
Cmin
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
5 8
5 8
3 3
3 3 3 3
3 2
This example also has a swing and bounce to it. Make sure it comes through in your playing.
Soul music often relies on a deeper bass line with less high end. Try rolling off some of the tone on your bass guitar to
see how that kind of music sounds.
The bass guitar is the heart of soul music. Play these lines smoothly to capture that feel.
FUNK
From James Brown and George Clinton through Prince and Rick James to its modern incarnation as part of hip-hop, funk
relies more than any other genre on the bass guitar to propel it. Funk makes extensive use of rests and syncopation, and
theres a constant emphasis on the one, or the beginning of each measure.
D7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
35
55
This bass line incorporates some of the attributes found in the music of James Brown.
It looks simple, but the amount of space and the syncopation in the later parts of the measure make it tricky.
The main action of the part takes place on the first beat of each measure. Make sure you hit those notes with conviction.
The amount of space leaves room for sparing fills, but be careful not to overplay. You must maintain the groove.
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R&B
(continued)
This line is a little busier and owes more to Eighties artists.
Emin
A7
Cmin
A7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
7 7 5 3 2
5 5 5 3
7 7 5 3 2
5 2
This figure stretches across two measures, which adds to the syncopation of the part.
Again, most of the emphasis lies on the first part of the music.
This is a driving part, so dont be afraid to play it with a little attitude.
Notice that this example is driven by eighth notes, as opposed to the previous example that was driven by sixteenth
notes.
MODERN R&B
A great deal of the R&B played today features bass lines played on keyboards or sequenced through computers. The lines are
also more likely to follow the bass drum more closely or exactly. Still, artists such as Meshell Ndegeocello, Erykah Badu, and
DAngelo make extensive use of bass guitar in their music as well. Look at this example of how a modern R&B bass line could
sound.
Bmin7
E7
Bmin7
E7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
2 2
2 2
4
2
0 0
5 7
7 5
2 2
22
0 0
5 7
7 5
The use of octave notes isnt new to R&B music, but it has added emphasis due to the influence of the expanded reach
of keyboards.
Keyboards also have a lower range than most bass guitars, which is one reason behind the development of 5- and 6string bass guitars.
Again, theres more to R&B music than could be explained here. Look to artists such as James Jamerson, Donald Duck
Dunn, Bootsy Collins, Willie Weeks, and others to see where soul, funk, and R&B music were born.
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Reggae
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Basic Rhythms
Reggae was born from a combination of R&B and island and African rhythms. Its a sound naturally tied to the island of Jamaica, where it was born.
What Distinguishes Reggae Bass

DROP THE ONE
Whereas R&B puts the emphasis heavily on the first beat of the measure, reggae gets a characteristic feel from not playing on
the first beat. Because the bass guitar plays a huge part of that rhythm, its not uncommon to see parts like this:
AMaj
DMaj
AMaj
Bmin
E7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
5 5
5 5
5 5
2
7
7 7
7 7
Notice how each measure begins with an eighth-note rest.

Many reggae parts are based around arpeggios. Notice how the part outlines each chord.
Respect the space in this part. It defines the groove as much as the notes that are played.
LISTEN UP
To get a feel for how reggae should sound, listen to bassists such as Aston Family Man Barrett (with Bob Marley and the
Wailers) and Robbie Shakespeare (legendary Jamaican studio bassist). Reggae is dependent on the bass, so listen well and
maintain a bouncy, solid feel. This is another genre where you might want to roll down the high frequencies on your bass;
reggae requires deep and rumbling bass.
FACT
Some famous reggae bassists
Robbie Shakespeare
Aston Family Man Barrett
Flabba Holt
Jah Wobble
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Country
On the surface, country bass playing would seem to be the easiest style to play. The majority of traditional country bass lines feature only the root and fifth notes of each chord, and the notes closely
follow the bass drum. Theres a precision that goes with it, however, and the word groove applies
here as much as it does to any other style of music.
What Distinguishes Country Bass
ROOT-FIFTH
The basic country bass line is shown in the following example:
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
5
3
The notes are simple, and so is the beat. Just alternate the notes and give each one equal value.
Notice how the root-fifth pattern is altered at the end of the third measure. This gives the line a little more motion,
instead of staying locked on that one note as the chord changes.
This next example adds some rhythmic variation and introduces common country devices such as playing notes leading up or
down to the root of the next chord.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
3 3 3 2
0 0 0
1 1 1 0
3 3 5
The sixteenth notes give a little push to the notes coming up in the part. They are eighth notes, and again this should be
written out with each note given twice the duration that it has.
The walk ups and walk downs to the root notes of each chord are common occurrences in country. Indeed, theyre
expected to be there to indicate when the chords change.
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Basic Rhythms
The last example is a valuable feel to master. Its also an easy feel to pick up because its based on half notes. Its called the
two feel because it includes only two notes per measure.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Bass
Bass
Theres a lot of space in this rhythm; however, be sure to give each note an equal value.
This can also be played with quarter notes, adding quarter-note rests between the notes.
You can also add little fills at the end of each measure, but keep it simple. Less is more in this case.
LISTEN UP
Everybody from the first Hank Williams to Willie Nelson helped define country music, so listening to that range of artists helps
you get a better feel for country. For more modern country, the emphasis is as much on artists like the Eagles as Hank
Williams, so incorporate that rock feel into your playing.
TIP
Keep it simple, smarty!
The bass part often kept the tempo and rhythm for country
music before drums were introduced to the genre. Keeping
the part simple is the key to playing a country rhythm
correctly. Playing only and exactly the right notes is often
as difficult as playing many notes quickly.
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11

Slapping and popping on the bass guitar is a unique sound. No other
instrument can produce this mix of tone and style, and its an instantly
recognizable part of any song in which it is used. Because it is so
unique, however, its important to find the right place and time for its
use. This chapter helps you understand the basics and use it where it
best fits.
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Popping Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208
Some Basic Slap Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210
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Slapping
Technique
The origins of slapping the bass lie
with Larry Graham, bassist for Sly
and the Family Stone. The technique
was used to help replace the percussive
sound of the drums on the bass guitar.
There has always been a close relationship between the bass guitar part and
the bass drum in popular music. Now
you add the thump of that drum to
the bass guitars attack.
How to Slap
HIT THE STRING
With that in mind, it might be helpful to look at your thumb as the stick that hits the drum. Your goal is to hit the string with
your thumb and allow it to bounce off, much like a drumstick. This gives you the percussive sound with the ring of the bass
string afterwards. Refer to Chapter 3 for the basics of this technique. This chapter expands on those basics.
The power of the slapping motion comes from rotating the
picking hands wrist. The thumb itself is more of a striking
object, and it doesnt actually move on its own. Use the body
edge of the thumb near the knuckle to strike the string so that
you get a clear, ringing tone after the first strike.
TIP
Let the string do some of the work
The string of the bass guitar looks like a spring, so
its easy to see how it can bounce back. Dont hit the
string too hard, hoping to get the percussive sound.
Hit it just hard enough to get the familiar slap tone,
but let the string bounce back.
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GET THE MOTION DOWN
The key of E is a popular one for bassists using the
slapping technique because of the dramatic sound
of the open E string being slapped. That makes this
string a good place to start getting the slapping technique down. Do the following exercise:
1 Start by playing quarter notes on the E string using
your thumb.
2 Repeat this exercise until you can consistently get a
good, clear slapping tone.
3 Start with your metronome at 85 bpm and slowly work your way up to faster tempos. Move on only when you can hit all of the quarter notes on tempo with a good sound.
4 Practice these notes both legato (long and smooth) and staccato (short and choppy). To stop the notes while playing staccato, lightly
rest your left hand on the strings to stop the vibrations. Then raise your hand just before playing the next note.
Now practice putting a rest on beats 2 and 4 of each
measure, as in the exercise that follows.
Follow the same instructions for these measures as
you did with the earlier examples.
T
Now play the notes in these measures on the A string.
Play this example both on the open A string and the

fifth fret on the E string. Raise your left hand off the
fretboard to stop the note but dont let your hand
actually leave the string. Then fret the next quarter
note. Doing this helps you get your slap tone and
technique down.
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Popping
Technique
To continue the drum metaphor, the pop of slapping and popping comes from the index finger
pulling up either the D or G string to simulate a snare drum. A good way to approach slapping patterns is to think of a bass drum and a snare drum playing together.
How to Pop
PULL THE STRING
The pop comes from using the hook of your index finger to
pull the string up and then let it slap back against the fretboard, producing both the note and a percussive attack. Again,
this motion comes from the wrist, but its produced by pulling
up instead of twisting the wrist. After some practice, youll find
that the motion of slapping combined with popping comes
naturally, and each action complements the other.
MAKE THE SOUND

Practice this simple exercise to develop your popping
sound and get the feel of alternating thumb slaps and
finger pops. T stands for a thumb slap, while P stands
for a pop.
1 Start by fretting the A on the E string, and fret the A on

the D string, one octave up. This use of octave notes in
slapping and popping is very common, so be prepared
to see and hear it around a lot.
7
5
7
5
7
5
P
7
2 Repeat this exercise until you get good, clear sounds out of both the slaps and the pops.
3 Again, start this exercise at around 85 bpm and move up the tempo consistently as youre able to manage both a good sound and
correct tempo.
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Now try putting the pop in a different part of the measure, as shown in the following exercise. The notes stay the same, but
notice how the rhythm seems to change by placing the pops on different beats.
P
7
Practice these until you can consistently produce a good tone in time with your metronome. Getting these basics down will
help you get ready for more complex patterns.
Remember also that most players choose to slap notes on the E or A string and pop on the D or G string. Its possible to slap
notes on the D string as well; however, it gets difficult to produce a good note slapping on the G string because of the
reduced mass of the bass guitars thinnest string.
TIP
Listen to drummers
If you think of your thumb as a bass drum and the
popped note as a snare, it makes sense to listen to
drummers and see how they alternate those strikes.
By hearing what these players do, youll be able to
expand the vocabulary of your own playing.
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Some Basic Slap

Patterns
The patterns in this section go a little
further in showing you some different
rhythmic and harmonic variations.
Some of these are borrowed from
funk, the breeding ground of slapping
and popping; however, youll notice
that some of these examples could be
moved to rock or jazz, where slap bass
has also found a home. Feel free to
experiment with tempos and keys as
you play these examples.
Example Slap Patterns

BASIC SLAP PATTERN 1
This pattern keeps a steady quarter-note pulse, much like Larry Graham would play in his bass lines with Sly and the Family
Stone. Use your thumb to play all of these notes. Because these notes are all played on the E and A strings, theres no popping of notes involved. The eighth notes at the end of the first three bars give the line a little more drive; the last few notes in
the fourth measure give the example a turnaround, or a musical phrase that leads back to the beginning.
3 4
5 7
3 4
5 7
5 7
Play this and the following examples several times in a row until each time flows smoothly together. Start at a slow and
steady tempo using your metronome. Then gradually increase the tempo, just as you did with the other examples.
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This pattern adds a little more activity to the line, along with some popping with your thumb. The letters below the example
show you how to play it. T stands for thumb, P stands for pop, and HO stands for hammer-on. Thats fretting a note on a
string with enough force to cause the note to play. Its usually done on a string thats already vibrating.
Note the line drawn above the notes involving a hammer-on. That line indicates a slur, which basically translates to a hammeron on the bass guitar.
7
5

This slap pattern speeds up everything a little more by using sixteenth notes at the beginning, and it puts the riff into a minor
key. Pay attention to the difference between the hammer-on at the beginning and the notes later in the first measure. The
hammer-on should have a flowing feel, which contrasts well with the pronounced notes in the second part.
Also note the dotted eighth note at the beginning of the second measure. Remember that this means the note has one-anda-half times the value of the normal eighth note. That gives the music a little lag, which makes it a little funkier than just playing it straight.
P HO T
5 7
5
T
3
5
5
P
5
T T
0
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Some Basic Slap

Patterns (continued)
In this example, the rests have the dotted value, and the sixteenth notes should be played as a lead-in to the slapped octave
notes. This pattern travels through a few chords, and it sounds almost like something that you would hear in the later work of
the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Notice the last few notes in the last measure. Again, those are a sort of turnaround that indicate
the pattern is going back to the top, or returning to the beginning of the pattern.
Electric Bass
T P
T
A
B
Electric Bass
T P
T P
Bass
Bass

There are a lot of eighth notes in this pattern, but in reality youre just slapping the root and the octave notes and adding brief
transitions at the end of the second and fourth measures.
Make sure each note has its own pronounced attack. They shouldnt blend into each other. A line like this would probably
feel most at home in a disco-feeling song, although adding some distortion and compression to this sound could make the
line sound good in a metal or industrial rock context.
TPT P T P T P
5
3
212
5
3
5
3
T P T P T P
5
3
5
3
2
0
T P
3
1
T P T PT P T P T P T P T P T P
4
2
5
3
5
3
5
3
5
3
5
3
8
6
7
5
6
4
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Theres a lot of space in the line that follows. The beginning eighth note (or notes) at the start of the measures mark the
beginning (known in funky circles as the one).
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T T T
0 5
5 5
T T
3
T P
T T T TT T
7
3
7 7 5
T T T
0 5
T T T
5 5
Bass
Bass
Sometimes, what you dont play is as important as what you play. These rests add to the lines sense of groove. Try playing it
by putting a lot of emphasis on the beginning of each measure and playing the rest of the notes as lead-ins or transitions to
the next measure. This line would work well in a funk or dance context.

The following pattern takes the disco pattern used earlier and adds some rests to break up the repetition. It also switches
some of the emphasis away from straight thump-pop playing. This line would work well in dance or hip-hop music.
TPT
T P T
T P T T TP T P
2
7
0 0 5
T P T
T P T
9
7
T P T T T P T P
5
2
0
0 0
4
2
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Some Basic Slap

Patterns (continued)
This last exercise wraps all of the concepts from this chapter into one example. Again, start slowly on this one until you can
play each note with clear definition. When you can play this example several times in a row, speed up the tempo.
Electric Bass
T T
T T
T T
T T
Electric Bass
3
3 3
P
5
5
3
3 3
Bass
Bass
4
1
P
4
TIP
Keep the beat and the tune
Its easy to get caught up in the percussive nature of slapping
and popping. All basslines still need a melodic and harmonic
aspect to them as well, though, so dont lose sight of the
notes youre playing. Make sure the notes get out along with
the percussive effect.
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MUTED SLAPS AND POPS

Remember also that slap and pop on
the bass guitar is a very percussive
attack, and sometimes muted notes or
thumps can help drive a line along. Try
slapping and popping the strings with
your left hand muting the string (see
Chapter 6 for more on muting), not fretting a note.
Play some of the examples again and
choose notes to mute, producing just a
percussive attack. These ghost notes
drive the song along without producing
a definite pitch, giving it a more percussive quality.
Slapping isnt appropriate for all styles
of music, but its a valuable addition to
your playing style and quite useful on
some occasions.
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Getting Your Tone

Just as important as what you play is how you play it. The bass guitar is
capable of producing many different sounds, depending on what technique you use and how you adjust your tone and volume controls. This
chapter gives you some idea of what directions you can take in your
playing.
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How Should You Play? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

Playing in a Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Dialing It In on Active and Passive Bass Guitars . . . . . . . . . . . . .228
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How Should
You Play?
Theres a long answer and a short
answer to this question. The short
answer is Any way you want. As you
learn and progress through these lessons, however, youre going to hear
things you like and things you dont
like. There will be styles youll want to
emulate, and there will be styles you
wont care for. Ultimately, youre
going to decide how you want to
sound and how you want to play.
Types of Bass Playing

The longer answer is that each style has its own sound and
conventions that define it. Theres a reason why country bass
sounds different than rock bass or R&B bass. The notes and
rhythms play different roles in each of those genres. You
should take the time to learn and study why players do what
they do and sound like they sound. In other words, you
should find out why it works and how you can do it. This
doesnt mean you should only copy what other people do.
Trust your judgment while you learn and find out what you
want to do with your part.
Although they shouldnt be taken as hard-and-fast rules as to
how you absolutely must play, the sections in this chapter
will give you an idea of where to look to get your sound.
From there, you should listen to the others you play with and
help your style integrate with the song itself. You dont have
to lose your ideas. You just have to support the music.
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ROCK BASS
Although this category can include a huge variety of music, from lighter acoustic rock to AC/DCstyle hard rock, there are a
few common elements youll find across the spectrum. In most cases, an even tone without too many highs or lows works
well here. Theres not a lot of distortion or overdrive here; however, louder rock might have a little additional grind to it. You
might find some effects used here and there, but for the most part a simple, clean tone is a good choice.
D7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
3 5
3 5
Drum Set
C7
A7
D7
Bass
Bass
3 3
3 3
3 3
3 5
D. S.
Some common ingredients of a classic rock bass tone are a powerful tube amp, like the Ampeg SVT, and a heavy pick or
plucking style. Listen to bands like AC/DC for a good example of tone and solid playing style.
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How Should
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METAL BASS
First, start with the rock tone described earlier. Now, crank up
the volume a little bit louder, and maybe crank up the distortion or overdrive pedal. Now, you have a metal sound.
Many guitarists in this genre have taken to adding lower strings to their guitars or tuning their instruments down anywhere
from a half step to a whole step and more. That means the bassist often has to drop lower as well. Five- and six-string basses
are commonly used, as are tuned-down four-string bass guitars. Both the lower frequencies (for a booming low end) and the
higher frequencies (for a more grinding tone) are often boosted. Just be sure to keep the midrange frequencies present so
that you can actually hear what the note is supposed to be.
The musical example here also shows a common technique tuning the E string down to D for a lower, more sinister note.
Notice in the tablature how the 0 on the E string stands for a D note now. Youll have to remember how the notes change
when you tune this string down a whole step, but it can give you a little extra edge in your playing. On a five- or six-string
bass, you would just play this note normally on the low B string.
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
Drum Set
220
T
A
B
0 0 0
3 3 3
1 1 1
0 0 0
3 3 3
4 4 4
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JAZZ AND BLUES BASS

In the worlds of jazz and blues, the forerunner to the bass guitar was the upright bass. The classic jazz and blues sound
strongly emphasizes the lower frequencies with a smooth, but not sparkling, high end. It provides the movement in the music
without sonically getting in the way of the other instruments. The fretless bass guitar often is used in this genre to imitate the
sound of its upright bass counterpart. This sound also works with Latin styles such as salsa and Afro-Cuban jazz. The following is an example of jazz bass.
B%Maj
Gmin
CMaj
FMaj
B%Maj
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
3
1
Drum Set
Gmin
CMaj
FMaj
Bass
Bass
3
D. S.
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How Should
Here is a blues bass example.
A7
D7
A7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
7
5
5 5
7
5
5 5
7
7
7 5
7
5
5 5
Drum Set
3
E7
D7
A7
E7
Bass
Bass
9 7
7
5
7
5
7 5
77
77
77
D. S.
3
Especially with the influence of Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, and other jazz bass guitarists, the bass guitar has also established itself as a potent lead voice in todays modern jazz sound. In this case, you hear a brighter sound with more emphasis
on the high and mid-frequencies. Effects such as chorus pedals are often used here as well. Six-string basses are often used
in this situation because they give improvising bassists more notes to choose from. Groundbreaking musicians such as
Stanley Clarke even used the piccolo bass, a bass guitar tuned up a full octave. Use your best judgment as to what sound
works best in any given situation.
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R&B AND FUNK BASS
The bass guitar provides the bottom end in this style of music, both in terms of frequencies and in terms of making people
dance. R&B stands for rhythm and blues, both of which the bass provides. A good R&B part will not only set a good rhythm,
but emphasize the harmonies common to gospel and blues. The bass plays an important role here. It gets both the body and
the soul moving.
F7
C7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
1 3
Percussion
B%7
Gmin
Bass
Bass
8
3
Perc.
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How Should
Funk takes syncopations and bluesy harmonies a step further, making it nastier. Funk is all about dancing, and the bass
makes people move. A strong low end is key here, especially since the advent of keyboard bass in pop and modern R&B.
Some players use special effects, such as an octave divider, or actual bass synthesizer pedal, that actually reproduce lower
notes and imitate the keyboard bass often heard in this music. You often see low B strings in this genre as well. Here is an
example of a funk bass line.
E7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
5 7
7 7
7 7 5 7
5 7
7 7
Drum Set
Bass
Bass
D. S.
Another standard accessory, especially in the world of funk, is the envelope filter. This effect gives the bass that slippery, almost vocal sound popularized by bassists such as Bootsy Collins in the 1970s. Picking up this
pedal is a must for most funk situations, although a solid bass line is still
the funkiest thing around. Youll read more about effects in Chapter 13.
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Playing in
a Band
Getting Your Tone
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Most instruments have a defined role in the band, and the bass guitar is no exception. The band
counts on you to provide the rhythmic stability and basic harmony of the song; however, each
player is looking for different things. This section addresses what the other band members are looking for.
What Others in the Band Expect from the Bass Guitar
THE DRUMMER
The drummer and the bassist make up
the nucleus of whats called the rhythm
section of the band. Its obvious that the
drummers main concern is the rhythm
and the time feeling of the song. The
drummer is looking for you to sync up
perfectly with his or her playing. That
synchronicity is what provides the
songs groove.
The drum set consists of several parts.
In most cases, the drummer will keep a
steady rhythm on either a hi-hat or ride
cymbal. The snare and bass drums provide the skeleton of the songs groove,
while additional drums (called toms)
and cymbals (called crash or splash
cymbals) are added for flair and musical
embellishment.
Most often, that means locking in with
the drummers bass drum. Although
that doesnt necessarily mean you can
only play at the same time the bass drum does, it does mean that your part and the bass drum part should come together
and build the rhythmic foundation of the song. The only real exception to this is in jazz, where the rhythm of the song is carried mainly on the ride cymbal. In this case, the bass is usually walking in quarter notes along with the quarter notes being
played on the cymbal, thus creating the swinging feeling that is the essence of jazz.
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Playing in a
Band (continued)
Following is an example of drum set and bass guitar.
D7
Electric Bass
Electric Bass
T
A
B
3 5
3 5
Drum Set
C7
A7
D7
Bass
Bass
D. S.
226
3 3
3 3
3 3
3 5
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THE GUITARIST
Any rhythm guitar parts must fit in both
rhythmically and harmonically with the
bass part. Again, that doesnt mean a
complete imitation of the parts, but it
does mean that they must interlock.
Sometimes, especially with rock or metal
music, the bass and guitar play the same
riff, or part, in unison. Other times, the
parts are quite different. As long as they
work together, its a good part.
If the guitarist takes off for a solo, its
the bassists job to keep the song moving and provide a good, solid bed for
the guitarists part. This might mean
more room for a bassist to expand on
his or her part, or it might mean the
bassist has to stay home musically and
play the part as solidly as possible.
Depending on the style of the players in
the group, you might need to play
either role.
THE KEYBOARDIST
The keyboard is one of the few instruments capable of getting down into the same range of notes as the bass guitar, so both
instruments need to take care that their parts are different enough to keep from making the low end a muddled mess. Other
than that, the keyboards are similar in interaction to a rhythm guitar. They also function as a percussion instrument in a way,
as they involve striking the keys while also producing a harmony part. The keyboard part should follow the rhythm of the
drums and other rhythm section instruments.
Always listen to the other musicians in the rhythm section and try and come up with bass-parts that support everything else
thats going on. These parts should provide enough rhythm or harmony for the song without being too overbearing. Think of
the bass as a bridge between rhythm and harmony in the band, kind of like a melodic drum. Support and enhance the song,
but dont get in the way of the other instruments.
VOCALISTS AND OTHER SOLOISTS

This category includes singers and other lead instruments, such as trumpets and saxophones. These instruments take their
basic harmonic information from the notes you play, so theyre looking for you to know all the parts of the song and define
the song well. If the rhythm and harmony are taken care of, the soloists feel comfortable with their playing and can deliver a
strong performance.
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Dialing It In on Active and

Passive Bass Guitars
The most basic tone controls for your playing lie in your fingers. The bass guitar has a different
tone depending on how hard you play and what part of your hand you use to strike the note.
Beyond that, you can use the electronics in your bass guitar to significantly alter the tone of your
playing.
Passive Bass Guitars
Theres nothing necessarily passive about bass guitars. In this case, the term passive refers to the nature of the electronics
used in the pickups of the instrument. Because there are no preamps or power sources involved in the signal path of the
bass guitar, the controls can only reduce or raise the volume or types of frequencies coming from the instrument.
The controls on passive bass guitars tend to be fairly simple. Generally, there are controls for volume (either one for each
pickup or just one for the instrument) and a tone control. The tone control rolls off the high frequencies coming from the
bass, emphasizing the lower end.
Still, its possible to get a wide variety of sounds from the bass guitar even with these basic controls. By varying the amount of
volume from the bass guitar pickups and changing the tone knob, you can get some classic sounds.
ONE PICKUP
If the bass guitar has only one pickup, like the popular Fender
Precision bass (or P-Bass), its a good idea to leave the volume knob up all the way while playing. The tone knob can be
changed to go from a brighter tone to a more muted tone,
although many players choose to leave that control fully up as
well.
One pickup
TWO PICKUPS
For bass guitars with two pickups, such as the Jazz bass (or
J-Bass), the tonal options are a little more varied. Each pickup
has its own properties depending on its location on the bass
guitars body.
Pickups closer to the neck on the bass guitar tend to produce
deeper notes that emphasize the lower frequencies. Pickups
closer to the bridge of the bass guitar tend to produce notes
that sound more focused and punchy, emphasizing the midand high-range frequencies. The tone control affects the full
output of the bass guitar.
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Two pickups
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Customize Your Sound

You can customize your sound to fit whatever youre playing. If its something that needs a great deal of definition from the
bass notes, you can turn down the volume on the neck pickup to bring out more of the bridge pickups sound and leave the
tone knob up to its full level. If you want a more expansive sound that fills out more of the lower frequencies, turn down the
bridge pickup and cut some of the tone as well. Playing closer to the bridge or the neck also emphasizes these sounds. The
bridge will emphasize a tight, punchy sound; playing at the neck will create a wider, deeper tone.
Some bass guitars also feature a combination of the P-Bass pickup near the neck and the J-Bass pickup closer to the bridge.
This allows the player to take advantage of both types of pickup tones.
Its a good idea to leave the tone controls alone at first and experiment with playing the strings in different locations on the
body to hear what the natural sound of the instrument is before you start altering the electronics. The knobs will be there if
you need to make more in-depth changes.
FAQ
Whats that hum?
On Jazz-style pickups, turning down one pickup might introduce some unwanted
noise into the signal. If this happens, try moving away from sources of interference
such as neon signs, televisions, and computer monitors. Humbucking pickups, like
those found on the Musicman bass guitars, usually avoid these problems.
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Passive Bass Guitars (continued)
Active Bass Guitars
TONE CONTROLS
Active bass guitars have more tone-shaping options on board,
thanks to additional electronics and power, usually in the form
of small preamps and the nine-volt batteries that power them.
These controls can boost frequencies as well as cut them. The
additional power also makes these bass guitars louder overall
than their passive counterparts.
Tone controls
The most common form of active controls offers high-, mid-,

and low-frequency EQ controls. These controls take the place
of the tone knob and allow more refined control of the tone.
For example, boosting the mid-frequencies makes the bass
guitar sound more pronounced in the mix, whereas many
players cut the mids and boost high and low frequencies for
use while slapping.
SOAPBAR PICKUPS
Active bass guitars usually feature the same types of pickups
as the passive models. The main difference is the electronics
behind these pickups. Youll also see larger pickups on these
types of bass guitars, often called soapbar pickups for their
blocky shape. These pickups can produce a wide variety of
sounds, depending on how the manufacturer wired them.
SIGNAL ROUTING
Depending on the bass guitar, there might be several switches that change how the signal is routed through the pickups and
electronics. There is a wide enough variety of these wiring options that they cant all be covered here. The basic physics are
still the same, however. Pickups closer to the neck still produce deeper sounds, whereas pickups closer to the bridge produce
more focused notes. Keep that in mind as you try out the various tonal options on the active bass guitar.
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So Which Type of Bass Guitar Should I Pick?

There are benefits and drawbacks to
each type of bass guitar. Although passive bass guitars might not be as loud
overall as active bass guitars, the passive models dont rely on batteries to
power them and dont run out of juice
on stage.
Generally speaking, active basses are
favored by players who want a more
modern sound with a wide variety of
tonal options. Those who want a more
classic or vintage sound with a specific
type of soundand those who want a
low-maintenance instrumentmight
gravitate toward the passive option.
Ultimately, it comes down to what kind
of sound is best for you. Try several different options and see which type is
better for you and the music you play.
TIP
Different tools for different jobs
Most professional players own several bass guitars for different situations.
One sound may work better for a show or recording than another. Your
budget may not support this kind of collection, so start with an instrument
that can be used in most situations and expand from there.
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13
Buying a Bass Guitar

and Amplifier
You walk into a large national chain or a small mom-and-pop music
store, and youre immediately confronted with an overwhelming number of choices when buying a bass guitar and amplifier. Add the almost
infinite possibilities of purchasing over the Internet, and youre looking
at an avalanche of information. And all you wanted was a good bass
guitar! This chapter tells you what to look for and how much you should
probably expect to spend. You can get started for not a lot of money.
This chapter will help.
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What to Look for in Your Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

What to Look for in Your Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
What Else Youll Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
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What to Look for in

Your Bass Guitar
There is a huge variety of bass guitars available, in a large assortment of shapes, sizes, and configurations. Prices can range from just over a hundred to many thousands of dollars (plus time waiting
for a builder to make your custom instrument).
The Bass-ics
At this point in your bass-playing experience, its safe to assume that you can eliminate the custom boutique instruments that
make up the high end of the cost spectrum. That shouldnt mean that you feel cheated out of quality in your instrument. In
fact, you should expect the most out of your instrument, no matter what price youre willing to spend. There are some things
that are not negotiable. Take a look at these now.
THE BODY
These are the aspects of the body you want to be concerned with:
The weight: If your instrument is too heavy, youre not going to be able to focus on playing. Lift the bass and hang it on
your body with the strap. If it feels uncomfortable, try another instrument.
The shape: Play the bass guitar for a little while and take notice of the shape. Does it get in the way of your proper
playing technique? Make sure the bass guitar both looks good and plays well before you buy it.
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The finish: The color of the bass guitar doesnt make a difference in how it sounds. Its okay to want a good-looking
instrument, but remember that your first responsibility is to produce a good sound. Be sure to check for large dents or
hunks of missing wood, however.
The hardware: Make sure that the bridge, pickups, and strap buttons attached to the body are firmly in place. These
parts can undergo a lot of strain, and its important to make sure that theyre solidly mounted.
The wood: There are a few common woods used to make bass guitars, such as alder, mahogany, and swamp ash. Each
of these woods have unique sonic characteristics, and each also differs in its weight.
Wood:
Weight:
Sound:
Alder
Light
Solid overall sound and resonance
Mahogany
Medium
Emphasized high end and woody timbre
Swamp Ash
Light
Emphasized midrange
Rosewood
Heavy
Darker tone, clear bottom end
Maple
Heavy
Bright and clear
Poplar
Light
Clean and crisp sound
Basswood
Light
Emphasized low end
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What to Look for in Your

Bass Guitar (continued)
THE NECK
The neck of the bass guitar is placed under a
great amount of stress by the pull of the
strings staying in tune. Therefore, one of the
most important things to check is whether the
neck is straight. There should be a small
amount of curve from the nut of the neck
down to the neck joint. This is known as relief.
A simple way to measure whether there is a
good amount of relief in the neck is to hold
down an F on the first fret of the E string, and
with the plucking hand, hold down the note
at the 20th fret (or the last fret on the bass)
and look down at the gap between the E
string and the neck. The gap should be very
smallmaybe 2 millimeters. That will guarantee a playable action (the distance between
the string and the fretboard). If the gap is any
higher (i.e. 5 mm) the strings may be hard to
hold down. If the strings lay flat against the
neck, then the action may be too low and you
may encounter fret buzz.
Keep in mind that the height of the strings
above the neck can be changed by adjusting
the bridge and truss rod. A trained professional
should handle this. However, if there are excessive bends in the neck, these are more difficult
to fix. Play up and down the neck in all positions and make sure there arent any buzzes or
quickly dying notes at any place on the neck.
More than likely, your first bass guitar is going
to have a fretted neck. Check the frets on the
neck to make sure that the frets are all glued
down solidly and that theres no space
between the frets and the fretboard.
These can create problems for you down the
road, and you will have problems playing on
them in the meantime.
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The nut on the neck should firmly hold the strings in place.
The strings need to vibrate, but they shouldnt be allowed to
slip from side to side or off the nut.
Nut
Make sure that the headstock is firmly mounted on the neck

and that all of the hardware is firmly mounted on the headstock. The tuning machines should be firmly in place and
should not allow any wiggling or movement. The tuning gears
should also hold the strings in tune firmly without any slippage. If you notice the strings are constantly going out of
tune, the tuning machines might need adjustment. The gears
should also turn smoothly without any noise or grinding.
Finally, plug the bass guitar into an amplifier and play it for a
few minutes. You shouldnt hear any scratches or shorts in the
sound from normal playing. You should also be able to turn
any knobs or flip any switches on the bass guitar without
hearing any clicks, pops, hums, or scratches. If you do, its
probably a good idea to try another bass guitar, or at least ask
the store to remedy the situation. Its also a good idea to
make sure the output jack is mounted either in the body or
on a metal pickguard. Jacks mounted to plastic are liable to
break easily.
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Bass Guitar (continued)
THE COST
You can most likely purchase your new bass guitar for under $500. Its a good idea to buy the best bass guitar your budget
will allow, but you can still get a good value at this level if all of the earlier-mentioned factors are right. More expensive bass
guitars have additional features and better-quality materials; however, these arent necessities when you first start playing.
BUYING USED
Like a used car, check any used bass guitar carefully to make sure everything is in shape. However, you can find some good
deals on used instruments and still get a good sound. As long as the factors you looked at earlier are in place, youve got a
good instrument. You might want to stay away from vintage instruments, which often command hefty prices for rare examples of certain types of bass guitars. Buying a used bass guitar that sounds good, however, makes a good deal of sense. There
is also the added advantage that, if the instrument has been well looked after, it will have been played in, like breaking in a
baseball glove.
TIP
Trust your ears, not your eyes
The looks of a bass guitar matter very little when
youre playing the notes. Let how the bass guitar
feels and sounds be your guide, as opposed to buying the shiniest or newest bass guitar. You want an
instrument that performs well with you, not one you
have to fight to play. Shop around and try several
different types of bass guitars, taking your time with
each one. Youll know when you find it.
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What to Look for

in Your Amplifier
13
chapter
The amplifier is an essential part of playing the bass guitar. After all, youve got to hear yourself to
make sure youre in tune and playing the right notes. There are a few basic types of amplifiers, or
amps for short, and you should know them in order to make the right decision.
Types of Amps
HEADPHONE AMPS
Like a portable audio player for your bass guitar, this type of
amp allows you to hear your playing through a pair of headphones. Its a good option when you first start playing because
its relatively inexpensive, it allows you to practice easily, and it
wont make a lot of noise to bother your neighbors. Even as
you get better and move on to larger amps, this can still be a
valuable practice tool for you because you can take it anywhere and play at any time. You can expect to pay around $50
to $100 for these.
PRACTICE AMPS
Like headphone amps, these devices are used in practice situations. They usually have small speakers and limited power.
They provide just enough volume to let you hear yourself, and
theyre also easily portable. These usually have anywhere from
10 to 100 watts of power. The cost is anywhere from $100 to
$200.
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Amplifier (continued)
The Main Event
When youre ready to play live and be heard over a drummer, its time to invest in a larger amplifier. There are a few things to
take into consideration, however, so take a look at the various decisions youll have to make.
TUBE AMPS
Believe it or not, old-fashioned vacuum tubes are still in use. In fact, many musicians insist on using them in their amps.
Despite the fact that they can get very hot and are somewhat fragile, many swear that the tone these amps produce is second to none. They might not make good beginner amps because tube components are very heavy. Changing them also
requires a professional or a lot of personal knowledge about electronics. Still, if you fall in love with the sound, nothing else
will do.
SOLID-STATE AMPS
Solid-state amplifiers are made with modern transistors and electrical components, making them reliable and resistant to the
crashes and drops that can sometimes happen to amps as they are moved or knocked over. They also require less maintenance than tube amplifiers, are lighter, and can be less expensive as well. Theres also a wide variety of tonal options available, although some prefer what they hear as a warmer, more natural sound from tube amps. The best advice is to play both
and see which one you preferand which one your budget allows.
HYBRIDS
Enterprising manufacturers have tried to combine the best of both worlds, putting tubes in the preamp section, or the section
of the amp that shapes the sound itself. These amps use solid-state technology in the power section to amplify the sound,
eliminating some of the weight and making the amp a little less fragile because there are fewer tubes to break.
COMBOS
Combos are called this because they include everything you
need in an amplifier in one box. That includes at least one
speaker and the amplifier. Just plug in the power and your
bass guitar, and youre ready to go. There are several types of
these available from different manufacturers in a wide variety
of combinations, so youll need to do some shopping to make
sure you get what you need. Keep in mind these attributes as
you go shopping.
Power: To be heard in any sort of live situation, youll

need at least 200 watts of power behind you. As amps
are turned up, they can sometimes overdrive the speakers and produce a distorted tone. Having enough power
to be heard without that distortion is important.
Types of speakers: Combo amps can include a wide

variety of speakers and configurations. Smaller speakers
(most commonly 10 inches wide) provide a great deal of
definition and tone. Larger speakers (12 to 18 inches)
give more bass tone.
Weight: Because everything is in one box, they can be

both bulky and heavy. You might want to consider buying
one with casters or another transportation device if you
dont like moving big, heavy objects.
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HEADS
These devices include only the amplifier itself, without the
speakers. This makes the unit lighter and more flexible
because you can match it with different speakers for different
sound possibilities.
These come in tube, solid-state, and hybrid configurations,
like combo amps. They also come in power ratings from 200
to over 1,000 watts. The problem to keep in mind is what
kind of speaker cabinets match your choice of amplifier. Ask
the salesperson to make sure any speaker cabinet you buy
has the same ohm rating as the head.
COMPONENT AUDIO
You can buy the preamp and power amp sections separately, mixing and
matching to your taste. This is often the choice of professionals and
audiophiles who know exactly what they want and are willing to spend
the money necessary to get it. Until you get more experience and knowledge about these components, its probably better to stick to combo
amps or a head and speaker cabinet combination.
SPEAKER CABINETS
These boxes include from one to many speakers, depending on the
configuration. Common types include two 10-inch speakers, four
10-inch speakers, or one 15-inch speaker. The more power you put into
these speakers, the more cabinets (or higher ohm rating) youll need. The
ohm rating, or impedance, must match that of the head. Common cabinet
impedances are 4 to 8 ohms. Again, ask the salesperson to make sure the
speaker cabinets are compatible with the head you purchase.
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Amplifier (continued)
THE OVERVIEW
Now that youve gotten a look at the specifics of what goes
into making an amplifier, there are some overriding concerns
to keep in mind when you buy an amp to use in live performance.
Your power rating should be at least 200 watts if you want to
be heard over a full band. If youre performing in a smaller
venue with acoustic instruments, that can come down a little, but not much. Its a little unfair, but lower frequencies
require more power to produce and be heard. Thats why a
35-watt guitar amp seems as loud as your new rig. If youre
playing extremely loud rock or metal, that power rating can
go up to 500 or 600 watts.
Quality amplifiers vary in cost, but good factory-made combo
amps usually range from $500 to $1,000. Mixing and matching heads and speaker cabinets can drive that cost closer to
$1,200 or $1,300. Thats why its a good idea to start with a
good practice amp, learn the basics, and then move up when
youre ready to make an investment.
TIP
Make sure you can lift and move this equipment,
either by yourself or with a small cart or casters.
The amp isnt going to help you if you cant get it
out of the store.
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What Else
Youll Need
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Now that youve got your bass guitar and your amp squared away, youre going to need a few other
things to make your instrument sing.
Essential and Recommended Items

STRINGS
In addition to the roundwound and flatwound strings discussed in
Chapter 2, there is a variety of materials and thicknesses to take into
account. In most cases, strings are made out of stainless steel. Some are
also nickel plated, and some are coated with special polymers to prevent
corrosion. Some are even wrapped in black tape to dampen the sound of
the string.
Thicker strings provide more mass, and therefore more volume and tone.
Theyre a little bit harder to play than thinner strings, however. Thinner
strings also allow you to bend and manipulate them more easily for more
expression. Play different varieties and see what works best for you. Sets
of strings range from $15 to $75, depending on manufacturer and materials. The standard gauges for a set of strings are .45 (G string), .65 (D
string), .85 (A string), and .105 (E string).
STRAP
The guitar strap allows you to play the bass guitar while
standing up, and it can be helpful in playing while seated as
well.
Theres more to take into account than just the looks of the
strap, however. There are several types of materials available,
from leather to nylon to other man-made materials. Make
sure that the strap you buy is adjustable, either through buckles or other methods, so that you can move it to the most
comfortable length for playing.
A good guitar strap can also mitigate the weight of a heavy
bass guitar as well. A wider strap with padding makes the bass
guitar seat more comfortably on your shoulder, whereas a narrower strap might dig into your flesh and cause pain. Be sure
that what you buy will be comfortable during hours of playing.
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What Else Youll

Need (continued)
There are also several different types of strap buttons, from the stock
models that come with the bass guitar to special mechanisms that attach
to the bass guitar and lock the strap in place. Make sure that whatever
you buy is functional and keeps the strap in place without falling off.
These mechanisms might also require drilling into the bass guitar, so keep
that in mind when you buy.
CABLES
Cables connect the bass guitar to the amp, transmitting the signal that
youll eventually hear. There is a wide variety of cables available, all claiming to do some things better than others.
First, make sure the cable is long enough to allow you to move around
without yanking on the instrument or the amp. Not only can this damage
the cable, but it can also damage the jacks on the guitar and amp.
Make sure you can move the cable without crackling or losing the sound.
Thicker cables better transmit sound from the guitar to the amp, and goldplated connectors conduct electricity better than other metals, but this
might not be of concern to the beginning bassist. As you progress, you
might want to look into higher-end cables. For now, just make sure that
they work.
After use, fold and properly store cables. To prevent damage, avoid bending them at extreme angles.
TIP
Velcro ties will help keep your cables in good condition. You find them at
any hardware store and often at a music store. The cable should be wound
in a circular fashion with no twists and then fastened with the Velcro to
make a tidy loop. This is a good habit to get into from the beginning
untangling cables every time you want to play gets old quickly.
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BASS GUITAR CASE

Your instrument needs a case for transport
and storage. This is a nonnegotiable expense
if you want to keep your instrument in good
condition. Luckily, most manufacturers
include a hard-shell case with your purchase.
A hard-shell case is the best way to move
your instrument. The hard plastic or wood
takes the brunt of any shocks or drops you
encounter.
A gig bag also protects your bass guitar,

although not as much as a hard-shell case
would. It is lighter and more maneuverable,
however, and it often comes with convenient
back straps. If youre carrying your instrument
to a show, a gig bag will probably work.
Make sure the gig bag has at least a small
amount of protective padding. If youre
throwing it in a van along with the PA gear, a
hard-shell case might be better.
TIP
Traveling with your bass guitar
The bass guitar can react to extreme shifts in temperature, so be careful as
you move your instrument around. Dont let it sit for long amounts of time in
a hot car, and let it adjust slowly to moves from a cold temperature by leaving
it in a slightly opened case or gig bag to warm up. Its a good idea to keep
your bass guitar from sliding around a lot, so try to keep it out of the trunk
and in the front or back seat of the car while traveling. Dont pile a large
amount of gear on top of cases, and put bass guitars in gig bags on top of any
pile. Finally, always carry your bass guitar in the cabin of the plane if you have
to travel by air. It may take a lot of effort, but its easier than arriving with a
damaged bass from the potential changes in air pressure and temperature.
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What Else Youll

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GUITAR STAND
When youre not playing the bass guitar, its important to make sure its
stored properly. If you dont keep it in the case, a guitar stand holds the
bass guitar safely and prevents it from falling over. Its a must on the road
and a good idea even at home. The average cost is $10 to $30.
TUNER
A good tuner is invaluable for making sure your instrument
stays in tune. Expect to pay $20 to $40 for a good one. Make
sure that its made for bass guitar frequencies. Guitar tuners
might not be able to handle the lower frequencies.
METRONOME
As discussed in Chapter 10, the metronome is a great tool in developing
your rhythm. Make sure you get a digital metronome to keep a steady
pace. Mechanical ones might lose some consistency toward higher
speeds. More expensive metronomes might also include multiple beat
patterns or tuning capabilities.
If you have a drum machine or computer around, you can also use these
as metronomes using software or programs. You can even find free
metronome websites on the Internet, so any computer can become a
metronome with a few keystrokes. Just keep the beat simple so that you
can focus on your rhythm.
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Toolkit
This is nothing as intricate as a mechanics toolbox or woodworking supplies. These are just handy gadgets to keep around.
Soft cloth and polish. Its a good idea to keep your strings and
instrument clean. Use these to wipe down the bass after practice or
performance.
Wire clippers. The process of changing strings is much easier with a

pair of these around. Use them to keep excess lengths of string off of
your headstock.
Note: Conventional wisdom regarding the amount of string to leave on the tuning
pole is the more the better. Leave enough so there are at least three or four full
windings on the pole, but not so many that the string pops off the pole.
Screwdriver and Allen wrenches. Your bass guitar probably came

with adjustment tools. Keep them close in case of an emergency.
Extra strings, fuses, and tubes. Its a good idea to keep a replacement item for anything that could conceivably fail. Better to have
them around when you dont need them than to miss them when
you do.
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Effects
Theres an entire industry designed around changing the sound of the bass guitar. You might not
need all of the devices, but its a good idea to know what they do in case the need arises.
Special Effects Devices

CHORUS
A chorus pedal essentially doubles the signal of the bass guitar, detuning it
slightly to make the sound more full. This is a common effect for instances in
which the bass guitar is performing a solo or filling out a great deal of sound.
COMPRESSOR
Another common effect for bass guitar is a compressor. This unit essentially
evens out the sound of the bass guitar, making louder notes softer and softer
notes louder. This makes the bass guitar tone more even, especially when youre
using aggressive techniques such as slapping.
DISTORTION AND OVERDRIVE

Although both of these effects make the sound grittier and louder, they do so in
different ways. Distortion modifies the frequencies of the signal, whereas overdrive simply cranks up the volume until it starts breaking up. Both are often used
in solo passages and louder music.
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EQUALIZATION
Like your stereo or your amp, this pedal allows you to boost or cut frequencies. Use it to bring more (or less) bass out of your instrument or
emphasize the high or mid-frequencies of your instrument. Its also often
used in conjunction with other effects to round out the sound.
WAH PEDALS/ENVELOPE
FILTERS
Often used in funk or psychedelic music,
these effects give an almost vocal sound
to the bass guitar. Think 1970s funk songs
and movie soundtracks to get an impression of the sound. Wah pedals rock back
and forth to modify the frequencies,
whereas envelope filters modify the frequencies based on how hard you hit the
strings.
Wah pedal
Envelope filter
Other Effects
People are always dreaming up new ways to make new sounds. From adding synthesized tones to making pitches go up and
down based on a pedal, your imagination is the limit. Visit a music store to try out the pedals and see whats possible. Effects
also come in multi-effect pedals (several effects in one) or rack units.
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14
Care for Your Gear

Part of keeping your bass guitar and your amplifier sounding right is
taking good care of your equipment. Although they arent fragile pieces
of china, you do need to practice some regular cleaning and maintenance to keep everything running correctly. From changing your strings
to making sure you dont blow out your speaker, this chapter teaches
you what you need to keep everything running correctly.
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Before You Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252

After You Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
Change the Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
Intonation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261
String Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
Plug It In and Unplug It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
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Before
You Play
Even before you touch the instrument, there are a few steps you should take to make sure that your
bass guitar performs well and stays clean and ready to go.
Good Preplay Habits

WASH YOUR HANDS
You dont have to handle your bass guitar with latex gloves and keep it in
a sterile environment. However, your hands do have oils and dirt on them
that can cause corrosion on the strings and make the finish on your
instrument look dirty. Just a quick washing with a little soap makes a huge
difference. Using warm water also helps you play by getting the blood
flowing through your hands. So this one simple step helps both you and
your bass guitar.
POLISH IT OFF
A little guitar polish brightens the bass guitar and makes it look good. If
your bass has a lacquer finish, its just a matter of putting some polish on
a lint-free cloth and rubbing down the bass guitar until its clean.
If you have a bass guitar with an oil finish, the manufacturer will tell you
what kind of oil to rub into the guitar and how often to do it. The procedure isnt much different from finishing a piece of furniture. Be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions, and your bass guitar should be ready
to play for many years.
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HANDLE WITH CARE

Accidents happen, and little nicks and scratches are inevitable. You can minimize these by following a few simple rules of
care, however:
Always keep your bass guitar in a case or on a stand when not in use. Accidental falls are a common cause of anything
from chipped wood to actual breakage.
Whether its a belt buckle or that studded metal bracelet you have to wear during your bands set, keep your bass guitar
from rubbing against any metal or other hard objects.
Keep liquids and abrasive chemicals away from your instrument. This can damage both the wood and the electronics
inside.
LET YOUR INSTRUMENT ADJUST

If youre moving your bass guitar from one extreme of temperature to another, such as from a hot car into a much cooler club
or from winter cold to a warm stage, open your case and let the instrument sit there for a little bit before tuning or playing.
Giving the bass guitar time to adjust before you put it under stress helps keep it intact. Its also a good idea never to leave
your bass guitar in direct sunlight or in extreme temperature for very long.
FAQ
Do I need to buy a humidifier?
In a cold, dry environment, the wood in your guitar can dry out if youre not
careful. If you plan to frequently store your bass out of its case, you should
get a humidifier (a small, room-size humidifier will do). A humidifier will
protect both the guitars wood body and finish, preventing it from cracking.
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After
You Play
When youve finished playing, there
are a few things you should do before
putting up the bass guitar. Following
these steps keeps your instrument
looking good and sounding better.
Good Postplay Habits

WIPE OFF YOUR STRINGS
Your hands make the most contact with

the strings, so thats where the most oil
and dirt build up. Its important to get
these materials off as soon as youre
done playing because they cause strings
to degrade sonically and wear out more
quickly.
1 Take another lint-free cloth (a) not the

same one you use to apply polish to the
bass guitar body).
2 Wipe down the strings from nut to bridge

when youre finished (b).
3 You can also use a small amount of denatured alcohol or commercially

available string cleaners to take off particularly stubborn gunk.
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WIPE DOWN THE BODY AND NECK

Yes, its a good idea to clean the bass guitars body and neck again after youre done. You dont have to do a full polishing;
however, getting all of the dirt, oil, and grime off before you put the bass guitar back on the stand or in its case helps keep it
in good condition.
LEAVE IT IN TUNE
It might seem logical that youd want to loosen the strings to prevent additional wear on the neck and strings. However, the
neck of the bass guitar is intended to hold the tension of standard tuning, so this is unnecessary. Furthermore, youre putting
additional stress on the strings by constantly tightening and loosening them. Metal fatigue eventually breaks them, so go
ahead and leave them in standard tuning.
PUT IT AWAY
Keeping your instrument on a stand (a) or
in a case (b) helps prevent a lot of accidental damage. A falling instrument can
escape with just a scratch or two, or it
could cause significant damage to the
neck, strings, or body, depending on
where it lands. Its an easy step, and itll
keep your instrument ready to go.
You can use either a floor-mounted stand

or a wall-mounted hook when the instrument is not in its case. Either works, but
its a good idea to keep a floor stand
around in any case for use when you
leave home with your instrument.
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Change the
Strings
There are two common reasons to
change your strings. Either the strings
have worn out from too much use and
accumulation of grime, or theyve broken. The former is up to you to
decide, whereas the latter requires
more immediate attention. In both
cases, however, there are a few steps
you can take to ensure longer string
life and, more importantly, good tone.
Remove the Old Strings

You need the following:
A set of new strings
A set of wire cutters
A tuner
The correct screwdriver
An Allen wrench
1 Cut the string just before the tuning machine on the headstock.
Remove the string from the headstock and throw it away.
2 Pull out the rest of the string by the ball end.

Note: Pulling out strings can cause the ends to flip around, possibly
causing injury. Take it slow and pull out the string easily.
3 Coil the leftover strings and throw them away.
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Clean While the Strings Are Off

While the strings are off, you have a good chance to wipe down parts of
the neck and body that arent immediately accessible with the strings on.
Follow these steps to get rid of excess dust and other accumulation.
1 Using a soft cloth, wipe down the headstock and fingerboard, removing any dirt
and dust you see (a).
2 Using fingerboard oil or cleaner, apply a

few drops to the cloth and wipe down.
Wipe again without cleaner to remove
excess (b).
3 Wipe down the pickguard and pickups to remove dust and dirt. Use a Q-tip
or similar tool to clean any areas between the body and the pickup.
4 Wipe down the bridge and saddles to remove dust and dirt. The saddles can
be moved slightly, so go ahead and get under and around them.
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Change the
Strings (continued)
Now that the old strings are removed and the bass guitar is cleaned, youre ready to put on the new strings. Following these
instructions helps you get the string on solidly without too many windings or going wildly out of tune.
Put on the New Strings
1 Remove the A string from the package and uncoil it.
2 Thread the string through the bridge or body, depending

on how your strings are held.
3 Turn the tuning machine for the A string until the slot is
straight, allowing the string to lie flat with no bends. Put
the string in the slot.
258
4 Bend the string around 2.5 inches to a 90-degree angle.

Cut the string just after the bend, so that it looks like this.
The bend helps keep the string from unraveling.
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Care for Your Gear

5 Stick the end of the string into the hole in the middle of
14
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6 Holding the string in the tuning post, turn the tuning
the tuning machine. Bend the string at a 90-degree angle

toward the bridge.
machine to tighten the string. The string should be pulled

straight over the nut, without any angles. Make sure the
string goes under any appropriate bars or string trees on
the headstock.
7 Turn the tuning machine several times to wrap the string
8 Tighten the string until there are three wraps around the
around the post. Hold the string taut while you do this.
Each wrap should go under the preceding one. This puts
a little downward pressure on the string, making it easier
to keep in tune.
post.
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Change the
Strings (continued)
9 Using the electronic tuner, tune the string to the correct pitch
and then tighten it a little bit more. One or two turns of the tuning machine should work.
0 Tug gently on the string near the pickup. This helps loosen the
string a bit, allowing it to hold its tune better in the future.
! Tune the A string back down to pitch. Youll have to repeat this
process at the end, but this keeps excess stress off the neck and
the string for the time being.
@ Repeat this process for the other strings. It doesnt really matter
in which order you put them on. Youll also notice yourself cutting less or more off the string, depending on where the string
falls on the tuning machine.
# When all the strings are on and stretched, tune up the bass
using the electronic tuner.
Following these steps should keep your strings tuned and stable for however long you choose to keep them on. When they
sound dead or stop holding their tune, its probably time to change them.
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Intonation
Care for Your Gear
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A bass guitars intonation is how in-tune the notes are across the fretboard. Its possible to have the
open string in tune and fretted notes out of tune. A strings intonation is altered by moving the
bridge saddle.
How to Check Intonation
1 Play the open string and make sure its in tune.

2 Play the harmonic at the 12th fret (see photo) by lightly placing
your finger above the fret and plucking the string. You should
hear a bell-like chime. Using an electronic tuner, make sure the
harmonic is in tune.
3 Fret the string at the 12th fret and play a note, making sure its
in tune using the electronic tuner.
4 If the fretted note is flat, turn the screw at the bridge saddle to
move it closer to the headstock. If its sharp, turn the screw to
move it away from the headstock.
5 Repeat tuning checks and turning as necessary to get everything intonated correctly.
If youre unable to get the bass guitar intonated or there are tuning problems at specific frets, have a professional luthier look
at your instrument. Its possible that the neck or frets might need some repair work. This can vary from a cleaning and sanding of certain frets to a complete replacement of the fret wire. In any case, its best to have the opinion and expertise of a
professional to get your bass guitar sounding its very best.
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String
Height
String height, or action, is the distance between the strings and the fretboard. A lower action allows
you to fret notes more easily; however, it also leaves you prone to producing more string rattle and
noise. A higher action removes those concerns; however, it takes more effort to fret the notes
cleanly and quickly. Trial and error will lead you to the correct setting.
Change Your Action

The fretboard usually has a slight curve, which the strings follow. This is called the fingerboard radius. Be sure to stay close
to this curvature as you go.
1 Use the Allen wrench provided with your bass guitar or the
appropriate substitute wrench in the bridge saddle. Make
absolutely sure you have the right size, whether its metric or
English.
2 Turn the screws clockwise to lower the saddle. Turn the screws
counterclockwise to raise it.
3 Fret the string at several places and play the note. If you get any
buzzes or clanks, you might want to raise the string a little.
4 When youre happy with the settings, retune the bass guitar.
Again, if you notice any excessive clanking or buzzing on one specific fret or area of the fretboard, it might be time to bring in
a professional. You might just need some adjustment to the truss rod, or you might have to have some work done on the
neck or frets. In either case, its best to have a professional look at it and make a determination about what should be done.
The potential to cause serious damage to the bass guitar should outweigh any other concerns you might have.
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Plug It In and
Unplug It
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Amps made today are usually fairly resilient; however, there are still a few simple steps you should
take to prevent damage to the amp and/or the speaker.
Turn It On
It might seem obvious, but be sure you plug in the power (a) before trying to turn on anything. If the power switch is on
when you plug in the amp, you might cause dangerous surges and speaker pops.
Likewise, if the amp has a speaker off switch (b), make sure youve plugged in and powered on the amp before you turn on
the speaker. This again helps prevent speaker pops, which could damage or blow the speaker.
Make sure youve plugged your bass guitar cable into the amp (c) before turning it on. It might sound repetitive, but this
could also produce a speaker pop.
If youre using any effects pedals that plug into a power source, keep them on the same circuit as the amp. If you plug into
two separate power sources, you can introduce hum into the signal through a ground loop. Bringing along a spare power
strip is a good idea in this case. Power strips with circuit breakers are even better.
Turn It Off
After practice or the show, follow these steps to keep your gear in working order for next time.
1
2
3
4
Turn off the speakers, if possible.

Turn off the power to the amp.
Unplug the bass guitar cable and coil it neatly for storage.
Unplug the power cable and the speaker cable and coil them, if possible.
With the speakers off before you power down and everything else taken down after the power is off, you stand less chance
of harmful speaker pops.
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Some Last Words

The earlier chapters in this book introduced you to the basics of
the bass guitar. They also provided you with exercises and examples
designed to improve your playing and your awareness of the bass
guitars role in a band. This chapter gives you some final words and
concepts, and points you in some directions that you might want to
go from here.
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Where Do You Go from Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266

Learn Songs by Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269
Reading Music and Music Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
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Where Do You
Go from Here?
When youve mastered the exercises
and concepts in this book, youll have
set a good foundation for playing the
bass guitar. What you choose to do
depends on a few factors.
Bass Guitar Resources

Especially with the advent of the Internet, there is a wealth of resources to learn from. You can learn something from just about
any music, whether its what you do or dont want to play. This section shows where you can get some more inspiration.
RECORDINGS
Youve probably spent years listening to music as entertainment. Dont stop doing that just because you play an instrument now. But you can also treat what you listen to as tips
and guides. By listening specifically to the bass lines in the
music you enjoy, you learn more about how your new instrument fits into the overall scheme. When you listen, pay attention to these elements:
When the bass guitar plays (and when it doesnt). Note

how bass players gain more prominence in some musical
styles as time progresses.
The tone and sound the bass guitar produces. Notice

how bass parts tend to become more pronounced and
brighter-sounding as time goes on.
How the bass guitar interacts with the other players.

Study the relationships between the great rhythm sections.
The history of the recording. Find out the circumstances

behind the recording and how they led to the bass
sounding like it did. You should also note the time the
recording was made and the social and musical culture
of the time, as this can give you a guide as to why the
players chose to play the way they did.
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LIVE PERFORMANCES
The added advantage of seeing performers is the visual cues you observe. You not only hear what the players sound like, but
you also see how they play and can pick up additional information on their technique.
Dont get the impression that what you hear on the record is always what youre going to see live, however. Many performers
choose to reinterpret or outright change their music in a live setting. Not only is this a good chance to hear something youve
never heard before, but it can also give you some ideas on different playing styles and techniques.
Recordings can also be tricky propositions. Its possible to change and alter playing in the studio. When you attend a live performance, the playing that you see is real.
Choose from a wide variety of venues. Large stadiums or amphitheaters are usually host to the largest and most popular acts,
but you might not get the best view of what the bassist and the rest of the band are doing. Smaller clubs and venues give
you a better view, and you stand a better chance of actually picking up whats going on without the need for a large video
screen or the earplugs that really loud concerts can require.
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Where Do You Go
from Here? (continued)
MENTORS
Your mentors can take the form of either fellow musicians or
a teacher or instructor. Seek out other bassists and pick their
brains. A different perspective on your playing is often very
valuable. By hearing how other bassists play, and letting
them hear how you play, you can pick up advice and tips you
might not have thought of before. The unique part about
music is that although the notes may be the same, the interpretations are always different.
And dont be afraid to expand your scope to include other
musicians in general. Sometimes, the most important lessons come from other musicians. You find out how they perceive their role in music (whether or not it revolves around
them), and you take away something from it.
PUBLICATIONS
Theres a wealth of information available on the bass guitar.
Youve got an excellent start with this book, but there are
other sources you might want to consider.
Magazines devoted to bassists and the bass guitar

Books and anthologies featuring bassists and their work
Sheet music and other written music
The important thing to remember is that theres always

something more to learn. From here, you can look at different genres such as metal, funk, or jazz in much more detail.
You can also read interviews and analyses of different
bassists. Reading the words of these professionals can be
quite inspirational.
THE INTERNET
Because the Internet is probably the worlds largest repository of knowledge (both useful and otherwise), you can find
a huge amount of knowledge and wisdom just searching around for your favorite bassists and styles.
Most famous bassists have personal websites for you to find out about their recordings and playing styles. You can also find
many, many free sites that provide tablature or sheet music for your favorite songs. Bring up a search engine and let it run
theres no telling what youll find.
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Learn Songs
by Ear
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In the absence of written music (or

the musician actually telling you how
to play the song), you have to be able
to learn the song by listening to a
recording or other musicians playing.
From there, you have to pick out your
part in the song and play along. It
might sound daunting right now, but
following a few definite steps helps
you figure everything out.
How to Play by Ear

LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE SONG
Break down the structure of the song. You should be able to find the verse, chorus, and bridges of each song. Listen to the
song several times until you know exactly when each section begins and ends. Because most popular songs follow a specific
and often familiar structure, you can learn the song more quickly by learning individual parts of it.
FIND THE KEY OF THE SONG

After you find out what key the song is in, you can figure out the chords and scales used in the song much more easily. Play
notes on the bass until you find the one that sounds most at home with the rest of the song. That note is most likely the key
of the song, so you should go from that discovery on to the next step of actually finding out what the correct notes and
chords are throughout the song.
GET THE RHYTHM

Dont worry so much about the correct chords just yet. Right now, you want to make sure you can play along with the rhythm
of the bass guitar part. Does it closely follow the bass drum, or does it instead follow along with the guitar part? Or does it
forge its own way through the song, independent of the other instruments? When youve isolated the rhythm and where the
notes occur, you can determine the pitch of those notes.
HIT THE RIGHT NOTES

Heres where you trust your ears and pick out the right pitches. Play along with the parts in the correct rhythms and you can
hear the difference between the notes you play and the notes on the recording. Go back over these parts again and again
until you get it right.
You can do this using a normal CD or digital music player, or you can purchase a specialized player (available at most large
music stores and online) that allows you to slow down the song so that you can hear it at the correct pitch in slow motion.
This gives you time to find the correct note before moving on. Before long, youll have the part down and be playing along
effortlessly.
Dont be afraid to make mistakes. Nobody will hear you do it, and they are only steps toward you being a better bassist.
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Reading Music and

Music Theory
Theres an almost overwhelming
amount of written music available to
read and perform. The field of music
theory is certainly large enough to warrant a lifetime of study. Luckily, however, you dont have to do this to play
with your friends or a band. Picking up
a little knowledge on reading music and
theory can always help you become a
better player, however. Dont be afraid
to dig in and read up on the subject.
Sharpen Your Music-Reading Skills
Youve already taken a big step toward learning to read music in this book. Most of the examples are laid out with standard
notation and tablature to aid your learning process. Being able to read these examples is a valuable skill. But through
repeated practice, youll find it easier to read written music.
SIGHT READING
Sight reading is the ability to sit down to a piece of music youve never played before and play it with a minimal amount of
prep time. This is a valuable skill to professional musicians, and it takes a great deal of time to develop. The process itself is
easy enough to lay out, however. Just read and play through everything you can get your hands on.
Repeated practice of sight reading makes you more comfortable with the process, just like when you first started reading the
written word. Through extended practice and repetition, youll pick up the skill and be ready to go if the opportunity presents
itself.
Just like a well-balanced diet, be sure to involve a wide variety of genres and songs in your sight-reading practice. Its a great
way to break down the differences between these songs and genres and analyze both the notes and rhythms.
USE YOUR METRONOME

Be sure to include your metronome in these
practices. You dont have to start at the correct
tempo for the song. In fact, its better to start
slowly and build up the speed from there. You
gain more control over the parts you play and
develop confidence in your playing.
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Work on Your Chords and Chord Progressions

By reading about and practicing different types of chords and chord progressions, you gain a better understanding of how
they flow from one to the next in a logical manner. This may be of more interest to those who also write songs; however, the
knowledge is valuable to those who are creating bass parts for other peoples songs as well.
By looking at the common notes in each chord of a chord progression, you find what pitches work for a bass part that runs
through the entire song. You also find the notes unique to each chord that give your part more depth and character. Knowing
more about each chord helps you be a better player, even if youre playing only one note per measure.
Arranging
Arranging is the art of organizing the parts of many instruments so that they work together in the song. To do this, you must
be able to understand not only the chords and the bass part of each song, but also the role of the other instruments in the
song.
Again, this is a skill that most certainly benefits those who want to write their own music. But bass parts often change from
playing a supportive role to doubling other instruments or playing a lead role before going back to a backing role. Learning
what makes these switches possible helps you understand where you should play what part.
For example, a large and loud horn band isnt necessarily the place you want to try and take an extended solo. Your best bet
at this point is to follow the roots of the chords and supply a solid foundation. Because there is so much activity happening
in the other sections already, a busy bass part is likely to be lost in the shuffle. In a smaller ensemble, you have more room to
explore and play a more active part.
Reading about arrangement techniques and researching the arrangements of famous groups and musicians shows you
whats been done before and points your thoughts to new possibilities.
TIP
Youll see a great deal of arranging in the parts of big bands and jazz
combos, as well as in television and film scoring. Read about these
subjects to learn the secrets of those like Duke Ellington, Gil Evans,
and Charles Mingus (a great bassist in his own right), who wove
together elegant parts into masterworks of American music.
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Appendix
Some Especially
Noteworthy Bassists
One of the best ways to learn about the bass guitar is to listen to those
who have played it before. The bass guitar is a relatively new instrument, but already several major players have established their musical
identities and passed down their techniques to a new generation of
bassists. This section introduces you to these players, gives you some
information on their backgrounds, and recommends some songs that
best illustrate their contributions to the bass guitar. Use this as a starting point to discover more music and add to your bass vocabulary.
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Jack Bruce
Carol Kaye
Stanley Clarke
Geddy Lee
Les Claypool
Paul McCartney
Bootsy Collins
Marcus Miller
John Entwhistle
Jaco Pastorius
Flea
Rocco Prestia
Larry Graham
Chuck Rainey
Anthony Jackson
Noel Redding
James Jamerson
Chris Squire
John Paul Jones
Victor Wooten
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JACK BRUCE
Playing in a trio gives a bassist plenty of room to find his own space and play expansive, searching bass lines. Having the fire
lit under you by drummer Ginger Baker and guitarist Eric Clapton gives a bassist plenty of motivation to play bass parts that
define how the instrument will be approached for years to come.
Jack Bruce simultaneously held down the bottom end for Cream and used his instrument to play long, intricate lines in jams
that could last for over a half-hour. In addition, he wrote and sang a great deal of the material. After Cream broke up, Bruce
released his own solo material and collaborated with many famous rock and jazz musicians.
Cream reunited in 2005 to play a series of concerts, and a new generation of musicians was reminded of the power and
majesty of Bruces talent. Even today, bassists would do well to listen to classic Cream recordings to hear what a gifted
improvisational musician can do with the bass guitar.
Notable Tracks
Sunshine of Your Love, from Disraeli Gears (Polydor, 1967)

Badge, from Story of Cream (1983)
White Room, from Wheels of Fire (Polydor, 1968)
Spoonful, from Fresh Cream (1966, Polygram)
STANLEY CLARKE
Up through the Sixties, jazz and rock were distinctly different genres of music with little crossover between the two. As more
and more musicians grew to appreciate both styles, however, it was inevitable that concepts would begin to blend. Thus was
fusion born, and bassists accustomed to taking solos in jazz became more plentiful in rock.
Stanley Clarke is a notable doubler, or someone who plays both upright and electric bass. His work with Return to Forever
and his solo albums put the bass guitar front and center. He often plays a piccolo bass, or a bass guitar tuned a full octave up,
for solo work. He is also lauded for his slap bass and innovative compositions, which draw equally from rock, jazz, and funk.
Youre more likely to hear Stanley Clarke in his film and television scoring work, although he continues to record and play live.
He remains a vital influence on bassists everywhere.
Notable Tracks
School Days, from School Days (Sony, 1976)

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, from If This Bass Could Only Talk (Sony, 1988)
Vulcan Princess, from Stanley Clarke (Sony, 1974)
Lopsy Lu, from Stanley Clarke (Sony, 1974)
LES CLAYPOOL
Its impossible to hear Les Claypool play bass guitar without immediately knowing who it is. His style is so unique and
skewed that it could only be the work of the Primus frontman.
Claypool first burst onto the scene with his amazing combination of slapping, tapping, strumming, and fingerstyle playing in
connection with the off-kilter rhythms of drummer Tim Alexander and guitarist Larry Lalonde. He eventually picked up a 6string fretless bass and made even more whacked-out songs.
After Primus went on hiatus, Claypool played with Stewart Copeland and Trey Anastasio in Oysterhead, as well as his own
solo project, Les Claypools Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. Primus also recently reformed to play their classic material live, giving
fans another chance to hear this unclassifiable talent for themselves.
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Some Especially Noteworthy Bassists
appendix
Notable Tracks
John the Fisherman, from Frizzle Fry (Caroline, 1990)

Jerry Was a Race Car Driver, from Sailing the Seas of Cheese (Interscope, 1991)
Tommy the Cat, from Sailing the Seas of Cheese (Interscope, 1991)
My Name Is Mud, from Pork Soda (Interscope, 1993)
BOOTSY COLLINS
Most people think of a bassist as someone who stands in the back and plays solidly but quietly, with no flash. Bootsy Collins
blew up that stereotype and quickly seized center stage with his funky playing and outlandish personality and appearance.
Collins was playing in a Cincinnati funk band when he came to the attention of James Brown. When Brown fired his band,
Bootsy and his bandmates were on the next flight out to replace them. Collins worked with Brown to create some of the
funkiest tracks of all time. Even so, Bootsy had not yet hit his peak. He went on to work with Parliament/Funkadelic figurehead George Clinton, who included him in his extended musical family. Collins also led his own solo effort, Bootsys Rubber
Band, with great success.
Collins continues to record and perform to this day, and his contribution to funk cant be measured. His use of fingerstyle and
slap bass to hit the one has inspired a legion of funkateers to pick up the bass guitar.
Notable Tracks
Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine, with James Brown (Polydor, 1970)
Munchies for Your Love, from Aaaah . . . The Name is Bootsy, Baby! (Warner Bros., 1977)
P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up), from Mothership Connection (Polygram, 1976)
JOHN ENTWHISTLE
John Entwhistle found himself in a difficult place with his band, the Who. The band was already fronted by dynamic singer
Roger Daltrey, provided with classic songs by guitarist Pete Townsend, and driven by hyperkinetic drummer Keith Moon.
Entwhistle found his solution by turning up the volume and forging his own distinctive bass style.
Entwhistle played with a bright tone through loud amplifiers. He also used a distinctive right-hand playing technique. Instead
of plucking the notes, hed drum his fingers on the strings to produce loud, percussive notes that could stand up to the other
forces of nature he played with.
Before his untimely death, he also played with many other rock legends and recorded several solo albums. Those efforts
helped to cement his stature as one of the dominant figures in rock bass guitar.
Notable Tracks
My Generation, from My Generation (Brunswick Records, 1965)

Boris the Spider, from Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy (Pye Studios, 1966)
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FLEA
Raised around jazz musicians and equally at home in punk and funk music, Flea is one of the most recognizable bassists in todays
popular music. His marriage of punks energy and funks sensuality helped propel the success of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Flea began his musical career aspiring to be a jazz musician. His friends drew him to punk and funk, however, and his work in
the Red Hot Chili Peppers influenced a great number of rock bassists. His aggressive style of slapping can be seen in many
music videos and has to be heard to be believed.
Flea has also worked with musicians ranging from Alanis Morissette to the Mars Volta, but his work with the Red Hot Chili
Peppers will always be the standout achievement of his career.
Notable Tracks
Higher Ground, from Mothers Milk (Capitol, 1991)

Knock Me Down, from Mothers Milk (Capitol, 1991)
Fight Like a Brave, from Uplift Mofo Party Plan (Capitol, 1987)
Give It Away, from Blood Sugar Sex Magik (Warner Bros., 1991)
LARRY GRAHAM
Sly and the Family Stone were a groundbreaking group in many respects. Their music crossed the boundaries of rock and
soul, and the band was a multicultural mix of race and gender. And bassist Larry Graham introduced a new technique to the
instrument that blew the minds of many bassists after him.
Graham says that he began slapping and popping the strings of his bass to replace the loss of a drummer in an earlier group.
In this group, it became a clear and present voice in the music. Graham drove the Family Stones music with his distinctive
playing style and slightly distorted tone.
Graham went on to lead his own group, Graham Central Station, and had a solo hit with One in a Million. Hes also collaborated with artists from Betty Davis (wife of Miles) to Prince. His legacy as a musician and innovator continues to resonate with
fans of all genres of music.
Notable Tracks
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), from Greatest Hits (Sony, 1970)
Everyday People, from Stand (Sony, 1969)
Hair, from Graham Central Station (Warner Bros., 1973)
ANTHONY JACKSON
Taking his influence from rock and jazz bassists, Anthony Jackson went on to create a formidable career in both styles. Not
only did he come up with one of the most recognizable bass lines in history for the OJays, but he helped to create a new
form for the instrument itself.
Seeking to expand the reach of his instrument, Jackson helped design one of the first six-string bass guitars, or contrabass guitar.
The additional high and low strings gave him much more room to improvise, and it was quickly adopted by many other players.
Jackson is an outspoken musician, both in his style of playing and his interviews regarding music. No matter what you think
of his opinions, his influence on the bass guitar is undeniable.
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appendix
Notable Tracks
For the Love of Money, by the OJays, The Ultimate OJays (Sony, 2001)
Feel Like Making Love, by Roberta Flack, The Best Of Roberta Flack (Rhino, 2006)
I.G.Y., by Donald Fagen, The Nightfly (Warner Bros., 1982)
JAMES JAMERSON
Many bassists are easily identifiable by name or by group. You can tell exactly what recordings they appear on and where
their band is playing on any given night. Yet one of the most influential bassists in history often went without credit on the
records he played on, even as they climbed the charts.
James Jamerson was the house bassist for Motown Records, part of a group of musicians loosely referred to as the Funk
Brothers. Motown was run like a factory, which meant songs were shot through an assembly-line process. Several teams of
songwriters and producers would bring material to Jamerson, and the pressure would be on to produce a hit.
The Motown catalog stands as a testament to how successful Jamerson and the Funk Brothers were. Jamersons lines propelled the songs and gave them an undeniable groove unmatched by anybody since. When you hear most of the Motown
hits, youre hearing Jamerson. His musical voice was just as important on those recordings as anybody elses.
Notable Tracks
I Heard It Through the Grapevine, two versions, performed by both Gladys Knight and the Pips and Marvin Gaye
respectively (both on Motown)
Whats Going On, performed by Marvin Gaye, Whats Going On (Motown, 1971)
I Was Made to Love Her, performed by Stevie Wonder, I Was Made To Love Her (Motown, 1992)
JOHN PAUL JONES

John Paul Jones was already an established session musician and arranger before joining the band that would make him
famous. Following the dissolution of the Yardbirds, however, he would team up with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John
Bonham to form Led Zeppelin, a band that cast a long shadow over rock and heavy metal.
Jones was responsible for powering the group, along with Bonhams crushing drums. However, he also added keyboards and
other instruments to Led Zeppelin, giving their bombast a more theatrical and intricate counterpoint.
Jones has remained busy as an in-demand sideman and solo artist; however, his legacy with one of the most influential rock
groups of all time remains strong.
Notable Tracks
Achilles Last Stand, from Presence (Atlantic, 1974)

Black Dog, from Led Zeppelin IV (Atlantic, 1971)
The Crunge, from Houses of the Holy (Atlantic, 1973)
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CAROL KAYE
Carol Kaye began her musical career on the guitar, but she left a far longer legacy on the bass guitar. One of the most
recorded bassists of the Sixties, her work was instrumental in many of the pop and rock hits still revered today.
Kaye was a familiar sight in the studios of California, where she joined fellow bassist Joe Osborn, drummer Hal Blaine, and
several others in the Wrecking Crew, a group of superb studio musicians. Retaining her pick from her days as a guitarist, she
played the bass parts for artists ranging from Mel Torme to Glen Campbell to the Beach Boys. She also recorded hundreds of
tracks for television, movies, and commercials.
Kaye is also noted for her teaching and writing on the bass guitar. Between that and her actual playing, Kaye personifies the
rock-solid bassist who drives the song without getting in the way.
Notable Tracks
Good Vibrations, by the Beach Boys (1966)

Wichita Lineman, by Glen Campbell (Capitol, 1968)
Feeling Alright, by Joe Cocker, Ultimate Collection (Hip-O, 2004)
GEDDY LEE
Rush began its existence owing a heavy debt to Led Zeppelin; however, the band quickly evolved into a progressive force in
rock music, pushing lyrical and instrumental boundaries into new and different realms. As bassist and vocalist, Geddy Lee is
probably the most recognizable face in this band.
Lees fingerstyle playing is both powerful and agile, neatly filling the space between highly technical drummer Neil Peart and
abstract guitarist Alex Lifeson. Lees monster tone and intricate lines set a new standard for playing in rock music.
Rush is one of the most long-lived rock groups in history, recording from the early 1970s through the present. Lee continues
to be an inspiration on the bass guitar, even as he ably handles vocal and keyboard duties in the bands live performance.
Notable Tracks
Tom Sawyer, from Moving Pictures (Mercury, 1981)

Red Barchetta, from Moving Pictures (Mercury, 1981)
Freewill, from Permanent Waves (Mercury, 1980)
La Villa Strangiato, from Hemispheres (Mercury, 1978)
PAUL MCCARTNEY
As if being in one of the most influential rock bands of all time isnt enough to guarantee your legacy, theres also Paul
McCartneys influence as a bass guitarist. Chances are that when you ask any bassist who inspired them to play, youll hear
McCartneys name.
McCartney not only held down the rhythm of the songs he played on, but he used the bass to add intriguing and twisting
harmony lines to the songs. He was capable of playing simply, or he could orchestrate grand parts that gave a sense of
majesty to the Beatles songs.
Combine that talent with his songwriting ability and talent on other instruments, and you get an extremely influential musician. Still, whenever you see McCartney live these days, hes still laying down the bottom end with his bass guitar, just like he
did on Ed Sullivans show in the Sixties.
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appendix
Notable Tracks
Something, from Abbey Road (Abbey Road Studios, 1969)

Come Together, from Abbey Road (Abbey Road Studios, 1969)
Day Tripper, single (Abbey Road Studios, 1965)
MARCUS MILLER
Marcus Miller is notable for his production work alone, and hes also a talented bass clarinetist. Yet his singular bass tone and
amazing jazz and funk playing make him an idol of many.
Miller began his professional work as a studio musician, but he was quickly noticed and picked up by jazz artists such as
Miles Davis and David Sanborn. His slapping style and bright tone are often copied. In addition to this work, he has produced
and played for many other artists and singers, including Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Bill Withers, and McCoy Tyner.
Miller continues to record and produce other artists, and he has a vibrant solo career. Millers stature as a bass guitarist is
hard to overestimate.
Notable Tracks
Tutu, by Miles Davis, Tutu (Warner Bros., 1986)

Teentown, from The Sun Dont Lie (Pra, 1993)
The Power of Love, by Luther Vandross (Sony, 1991)
JACO PASTORIUS
Although the bass guitar had become central to rock music by the time the Seventies rolled around, it had made a limited
penetration into jazz. Monk Montgomery introduced it early on, and Miles Davis used electric bassists in his influential recordings. It took a genius, however, to simultaneously redefine the way a bass guitar would sound and break it into jazz music in
a big way. It took Jaco Pastorius.
Pastorius began playing R&B and jazz in Florida; then he left his home state to tour extensively. Along the way, he developed
a phenomenal technique that impressed musicians, record company executives, and fans alike. He played in the classic
lineup of the seminal jazz fusion group Weather Report, and his solo album forced many bassists to reevaluate their playing.
His fretless bass playing remains a standard for all jazz soloists, not just bassists.
Bassists owe an unimaginable debt to this player, who suffered an untimely death in 1987. Pastorius is a touchstone for all
bassists in any genre of music.
Notable Tracks
Donna Lee, from Jaco Pastorius (Sony, 1976)

A Remark You Made, by Weather Report, Heavy Weather (Sony, 1977)
The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines, by Joni Mitchell, Mingus (Elektra, 1979)
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ROCCO PRESTIA
Rocco Prestia is noted mainly for his work with the Oakland-based funk group Tower of Power, but his ability casts a far larger
shadow over many other musicians. Prestias fast fingerstyle playing gives an instant sonic signature to his group, and it
makes him an influence for bassists around the world.
Prestias sixteenth-note-based style blends seamlessly with the horn-based music of Tower of Power in a way that belies its
complexity. That he can play such dense music that fits so well is a testament to his skill and ability as a musician.
Although recent health problems have forced him to cut back on his live playing, Prestia continues to pass on his style to new
musicians seeking a different brand of funk and soul.
Notable Tracks
What Is Hip?, from Tower of Power (Warner Bros., 1973)

Squib Cakes, from Back to Oakland (Warner Bros., 1974)
Youre Still a Young Man, from Bump City (Warner Bros., 1972)
CHUCK RAINEY
When youre a studio musician, the most important compliment you can receive is a phone call for more work. By that standard, Chuck Rainey is one of the most revered bassists in music.
Raineys studio credits include work with everyone from Steely Dan to Aretha Franklin, and his partnership with drummer
Bernard Purdie represents some of the highest points a rhythm section can reach. Hes also worked on many soundtrack and
television recordings, along with the big band of Quincy Jones.
Rainey remains a powerful force on the bass guitar to this day. The name might not be as familiar as some, but the tone and
the style are instantly recognizable.
Notable Tracks
Peg, by Steely Dan, Aja (MCA, 1977)

What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong, What a Wonderful World (Verve, 1968)
Until You Come Back to Me, by Aretha Franklin, Arethas Best (Atlantic, 2001)
NOEL REDDING
Noel Redding started performing as a guitarist in Scotland, but a chance audition ended with him taking up the bass guitar
behind one of the icons of rock and roll.
Redding played bass for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, meaning that he had to carry on the song with drummer Mitch Mitchell
while Hendrix took off on one of his flights of incredible virtuosity. Redding could play basic riffs or outline the chords more
melodically, depending on what was needed.
After Redding left the Experience, he played with a few other groups in America and his native Scotland. His most memorable
work came from his collaborations with Hendrix, however. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 57.
Notable Tracks
Hey Joe, from Are You Experienced? (Experience Hendrix, 1967)

Fire, from Are You Experienced? (Experience Hendrix, 1967)
Manic Depression, from Are You Experienced? (Experience Hendrix, 1967)
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CHRIS SQUIRE
Chris Squire stood out at a time when bassists were more used to a darker, rounder tone. In his work with progressive rock
group Yes, Squire redefined the role of the bass guitar in a large rock ensemble.
Squire played a Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar, which gave him a bright and springy tone that cut through the other instruments in Yes. His playing almost resembled a lead guitar part, so loud and aggressive was his playing. His style is instantly
recognizable.
In addition to his longstanding work with Yes, Squire recorded his solo album Fish Out of Water in 1975. Squire remains an
icon in rock bass guitar.
Notable Tracks
Long Distance Runaround, from Fragile (Atlantic, 1972)

Roundabout, from Fragile (Atlantic, 1972)
The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus), from Fragile (Atlantic, 1972)
VICTOR WOOTEN
As a member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor Wooten stood out as an amazing talent among an already stellar jazz
fusion group. In his solo work, Wooten puts his more funky leanings forward. In any situation, Wooten is undeniably influential on todays bass guitarists.
Wooten is noted for his extremely quick thumb and fingerstyle playing, whether in his work with the Flecktones or his solo
albums. Although his playing does involve an extreme amount of flash, he still brings substance to his songs. No matter what
he does, his playing always enhances the song hes playing.
Wooten has recorded five solo albums, along with his work with the Flecktones and other jazz musicians. He also regularly
teaches at his own bass and nature camp.
Notable Tracks
Sinister Minister, by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (Warner Bros, 1990)
Me & My Bass Guitar, from A Show of Hands (Compass, 1996)
A Show of Hands, from A Show of Hands (Compass, 1996)
281
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Index
Numbers
I-IV-V progression, 153158
I-VI-II-V progression, 163
I-VI-IV-V progression, 158161
II-V-I progression, 162163
4-string bass, 23
5-string bass, 23
5th fret, 107
6-string bass, 23
12-bar blues, 153157
12th fret, 109110
A
abbreviations for chord names
charts, 150152
description, 122
symbols, 147149
accessories. See buying, accessories
ACEG (staff space names), 105
action, 236, 262
active bass guitars, tone controls, 230231
active pickups, 25
Afro-Cuban tone, 221
alternate fingering, 8287
alternate picking, 45, 9092
A major, sample song, 142
Ampeg SVT, 219
amplifiers, 263. See also buying, amplifiers
arm position, 35, 37
arpeggios, 141142
arranging, 271
artists. See specific names
B
Babbitt, Bob, 198
Badu, Erykah, 200
barlines, 105
Barrett, Aston Family Man, 201
bars, 105
Basie, William Count, 189
bass clef, 102103
bass drum, 225
bassists. See specific names
beats, 105
beats per minute (bpm), 166167
blend knobs, 27
blues
12-bar, 153157
bass tone, 221222
history of, 154
progressions, 153157
shuffle, 190193
body of bass guitar, 14, 1617, 234235
booming low end tone, 220
Bootsy Collins, 200, 224
bridge, 14, 21
Brown, James, 199, 275
Brown, Ray, 189
282
Bruce, Jack, 274

buying
accessories, 243249
amplifiers, 8, 239242
bass guitars, 234238
C
cables, 244
calluses, 40, 43
caring for gear
amplifiers, 263
bass guitars, 252262. See also tuning
Carter, Ron, 189
case, bass guitar, 245. See also storage
Chambers, Paul, 189
choppy style. See staccato
chords. See also progressions
abbreviations for, 122, 147152
arpeggios, 141142
flat major scales, 128129
major, 123129
major scales, 126129
major seventh, 135136
minor scales, 130134
minor seventh, 137138
names, 122
numbers, 122
practicing, 271
Roman numerals as names, 122
root notes, 122
seventh, 139140
sharp major scales, 126127
chorus pedal, 248
Clarke, Stanley, 222, 274
Claypool, Les, 274275
Clinton, George, 199
closed tuning gears versus open, 15
C major chord, 123, 141
C major scale, 114115
Cogbill, Tommy, 198
Collins, William Bootsy, 48, 200, 224, 275
color, bass guitar body, 16
combo amplifiers, 240
component audio amplifiers, 241
compressors, 248
controls. See knobs and switches
cost, amplifiers and bass guitars, 238, 242
counting out rhythms, 185
country rhythms, 202203
cymbals, 225226
D
dance music, slapping, 213
DAngelo, 200
Davis, Miles, 189, 279
distortion device, 248
Dixon, Willie, 154, 193
Dizzy Gillespie, 189
dotted eighth note rhythms, 174176
downpicking, 45, 8889
11/2/06
11:26 AM
downshifting, 7072
drum set, 225226
Duke Ellington, 189
Dunn, Donald Duck, 198, 200
duration of notes, 21
E
effects. See special effects devices
eighth note rhythms, 171176, 194195
eighth notes, 104
electronic tuning, 5657
Ellington, Edward Kennedy Duke, 189
enharmonic equivalents, 107
Entwhistle, John, 197, 275
envelope filters, 224, 249
EQ (equalization) knobs, 27
equalization pedal, 249
F
feeling the rhythm, 185
Fender, Leo, 4
fills, 190
fingerboard, 19, 109
fingerboard radius, 262
fingering. See also fretboard fingering
alternate, 8287
alternate picking, 9092
downpicking, 8889
moving string to string, 8485
muting the strings, 9599
plucking with the thumb, 9394
sympathetic vibration, 95
thumbstyle bass, 9394
up picking, 9092
finger placement, 4041, 6065
fingers
alternating, 43
calluses, 40, 43
muting the strings, 97
placement, 4041
finish, 16, 235
flat major scales, 128129
flat notes
C major scale, 114
F major scale, 118
symbol, 102
tuning, 52
flatwound strings, 22
Flea, 48, 276
F major chord, 125
F major scale, 118
fretboard, note layout, 107110
fretboard fingering
economy of motion, 7879
finger placement, 6065
shifting across, 7377
shifting down, 7072
shifting up, 6669
12th fret, 109110
Page 283
frets, 20, 236

fretted necks versus fretless, 20
fretting, 3841
fretting hand, 3841
funk bass tone, 223224
funk rhythms, 199200
G
GBDFA (staff line names), 105
gears, 15. See also tuning machines
gears, tuning with, 52
getting started. See also buying
first amplifier, 8
first bass guitar, 8
harmony, 6
practice, 1011
rhythm, 5
style, 7
ghost notes, 215
gig bag, 245
Gillespie, John Birks Dizzy, 189
G major chord, 124, 143
G major scale, 116117
Graham, Larry, 48, 206, 210, 276
grinding tone, 220
guitar body. See body of bass guitar
guitar case, 245. See also storage
guitarist, playing with, 227
guitar stand, 246. See also storage
H
half notes, 104
hammer-on, 211
hand placement, 39
hands, washing, 252
hardware, buyers guide, 235
harmony, 6
head, 1415
headphone amplifiers, 239
heads, amplifier, 241
headstock, 1415, 237
help, 266268
high notes, tuning, 52
hip hop, slapping, 213
holding the guitar
alternate picking, 45
arm and wrist position, 35, 37
downpicking, 45
finger placement, 4041
fingers, alternating, 43
fretting hand, 3841
hand placement, 39
playing with a pick, 4445
plucking hand, 4243
sitting, 3235
standing, 3637
the strap, 3031
thumb, playing with, 4649
thumb placement, 3839
283
11/2/06
Holt, Flabba, 201

Hood, David, 198
Howlin Wolf, 154
humbucking pickups, 229
humidity, 253
hybrid amplifiers, 240
I
industrial rock, slapping, 212
interference prevention, 229
Internet resources, 268
intonation, 21, 261
J
Jackson, Anthony, 276277
Jamerson, James, 198, 200, 277
James, Rick, 199
jazz bass tone, 221222
jazz progressions, 162163
J-Bass, 228
Jemmot, Jerry, 198
Jones, John Paul, 197, 277
K
Kaye, Carol, 278
key, 114
keyboardist, playing with, 227
key/time signatures, 102103
knobs and switches, 14, 2627, 230
L
lacquer finish, 16
Latin tone, 221
learning by ear, 268
ledger, 105
Lee, Geddy, 197, 278
left handed muting, 96
legato, 158, 207
leger, 105
lined necks versus unlined, 20
lines (music staff), 105
lingering style, 158, 207
listening for rhythms, 184
live performances, 267
low notes, tuning, 52
M
machines, tuning, 237, 254255
major chords, 123129
major scales, 126129
major seventh chords, 135136
Marley, Bob, 201
McCartney, Paul, 197, 278279
measures, 105
mentors, 268
metal bass tone, 220
metal sound, slapping, 212
metronomes, 166167, 246, 270
Miller, Marcus, 222, 279
minor scales, 130134
284
11:26 AM
Page 284
minor seventh chords, 137138

mnemonics for line names, 105
Montgomery, Monk, 279
Motown, 198
Muddy Waters, 154
Muscle Shoals, 198
musicians. See specific names
music notation. See also chords; notes; scales
ACEG (staff space names), 105
barlines, 105
bars, 105
bass clef, 102103
beats, 105
chord names, symbols for, 147149
eighth notes, 104
GBDFA (staff line names), 105
half notes, 104
key/time signatures, 102103
ledger, 105
lines, 105
measures, 105
mnemonics, 105
natural symbol, 103
online resources, 112113
quarter notes, 104
rests, 106
scales, 114118
sight reading, 270
sixteenth notes, 104
staff, 105
tablature, 111113
ties, 175
triplets, 175
whole notes, 104
muting the strings, 47, 9599, 215
N
names of chords, 122
natural symbol, 103
Ndegeocello, Meshell, 200
neck
buyers guide, 236237
description, 1819
fingerboard, 19
fretted versus fretless, 20
illustration, 14
lined versus unlined, 20
overtightening the strings, 53
truss rod, 1819
Nelson, Willie, 203
notes. See also music notation
above the 12th fret, 110
dotted eighth, 174176
duration, 21
eighth, 171176, 194195
enharmonic equivalents, 107
flat, 102, 114, 118
frequencies, 107, 109
on the fretboard, 107110
key, 114
multiple names for, 107
11/2/06
11:26 AM
octaves, 107, 109

open-string, 5253
quarter, 168170, 186189
sharp, 102, 114, 116
sixteenth, 177183
on the staff, 104
straight eighth, 194195
ties, 175
timbre, 119
tuning, 52
numbers, of chords, 122
nut, 15, 237
O
octaves, 107, 109
one-pickup bass guitars, 228
open-string notes, 5253
open tuning gears versus closed, 15
output jack, 26, 237
overdrive device, 248
P
palm muting, 99
Parker, Charlie, 189
parts of bass guitar, 14
passing tones, 161, 186
passive bass guitars, 228
passive pickups, 25, 228, 231
Pastorius, Jaco, 222, 279
P-Bass, 228
piccolo bass tone, 222
pick, playing with, 4445
pickguard, 17
picking, 8892
picking hand, 4243
pickups, 14, 25, 27, 228230. See also amplifiers
playing by ear, 268
playing position. See holding the guitar
plectrum. See pick, playing with
plucking, with the thumb, 9394
plucking hand, 4243
polishing the bass guitar, 252
polyurethane finish, 16
popping, 4849, 208209, 215. See also slapping
pop progressions, 158161
Porter, George Jr., 198
power, amplifiers, 240, 242
power chords, 163
practice, 1011, 60
practice amplifiers, 239
Prestia, Rocco, 280
Prince, 199
progressions
definition, 132
jazz, 162163
legato, 158
lingering style, 158
I-IV-V, 153158
I-VI-II-V, 163
I-VI-IV-V, 158161
passing tones, 161, 186
Page 285
power chords, 163

practicing, 271
rock and pop, 158161
staccato, 158
turnarounds, 162163
12-bar blues, 153157
II-V-I, 162163
publications as resources, 268
purchasing guitars. See buying, bass guitars
Q
quarter note rhythms, 168170, 186189
quarter notes, 104
R
Rainey, Chuck, 198, 280
R&B bass tone, 223224
R&B rhythms, 198200
reading music. See music notation
recordings, 266
Redding, Noel, 280
Red Hot Chili Peppers, 212, 276
reggae rhythms, 201
relative pitch, 5455
relative tuning, 5455, 57
relief, buyers guide, 236
resources, 266268
rests, 106
rhythm guitars, tone, 227
rhythms. See also timing
blues shuffle, 190193
counting out, 185
country, 202203
definition, 5
distinguishing, 184185
dotted eighth note, 174176
eighth note, 171176
feeling, 185
fills, 190
funk, 199200
listening for, 184
passing tones, 186
quarter note, 168170, 186189
R&B, 198200
reggae, 201
riffs, 194, 196197
rock, 194197
root fifth, 202203
soul, 198199
straight eighth notes, 194195
swing, 189
syncopation, 176
ties, 175
triplets, 175
walking bass, 186189
rhythm section, 225226
riffs, 194, 196197, 227
right handed guitars versus left, 24
right handed muting, 98
rock bass tone, 219
285
11/2/06
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Page 286
rock progressions, 158161

rock rhythms, 194197
Roman numerals as chord names, 122
root-fifth rhythms, 202203
root notes, 122
roundwound strings, 22
S
saddles, 21
salsa tone, 221
scales, 114118, 126134. See also music notation
seventh chords, 139140
Shakespeare, Robbie, 201
Shannon, Tommy, 193
shape of guitars, 16, 234
sharp major scales, 126127
sharp notes
C major scale, 114
G major scale, 116
symbol, 102
tuning, 52
sheet music. See music notation
shifting (fretboard)
across, 7377
down, 7072
up, 6669
shopping for bass guitars. See buying, bass guitars
shorthand for chord names. See abbreviations for chord names
signal routing, 230
sinister tone, 220
sitting position, 3235
sixteenth notes rhythms, 177183
size, effect on sound, 16
slap bass, 4849
slapping, 4849, 206207, 210215. See also popping
Sly and the Family Stone, 48, 206, 210
soapbar pickups, 230231
solid state amplifiers, 240
soul rhythms, 198199
speaker cabinets, 241
speaker types, amplifiers, 240
special effects devices, 248249
Squire, Chris, 281
staccato, 158, 207
staff, 105
stand, bass guitar, 246
standard tuning, 5253, 55
standing position, 3637
Stax rhythm section, 198
storage, 254
straight eighth notes rhythms, 194195
straps, 3031, 243244
strings
4-string bass, 23
5-string bass, 23
6-string bass, 23
action, 236, 262
buying, 243
changing, 256260
286
description, 2223
flatwound, 22
height, 236, 262
illustration, 14
over tightening, 53
roundwound, 22
types of, 22
wiping down, 254
style, 7
sustain, 21
swing rhythms, 189
switches and knobs, 14, 2627, 230
symbols. See music notation
sympathetic vibration, 95
syncopation, 176
T
tab. See tablature
tablature, 111113
temperature adjustment, 253
thumb, playing with, 4649
thumb placement, 3839
thumbstyle bass, 9394
thumping tone, 47. See also slapping
ties, 175
timbre, 119
timing, 166167. See also rhythm
toms, 225226
tone, 218227
tone controls
active bass guitars, 230231
knobs and switches, 14, 27, 230
one-pickup bass guitars, 228
passive bass guitars, 228
soapbar pickups, 230231
two-pickup bass guitars, 228
toolkit, 247
traveling with your bass guitar, 245
triplets, 175
truss rod, 1819
tube amplifiers, 240
tuners, buying, 246
tuning
damaging the neck, 53
electronic method, 5657
flat, 52
with gears, 52
identifying need for, 55
methods of, 5253
notes, 52
to one common string, 5455
open-string notes, 5253
quick and easy method, 5455
relative method, 5455, 57
relative pitch, 5455
sharp, 52
standard method, 5253, 55
too high/low, 52
tuning machines, 237, 254255
turnarounds, 162163, 210
two-pickup bass guitars, 228
11/2/06
11:26 AM
Page 287
unlined necks versus lined, 20

up picking, 9092
upshifting, 6669
used bass guitars, 238
wah pedals, 249

the Wailers, 201
walking bass rhythms, 186189
washing your hands, 252
Weeks, Willie, 200
weight of bass guitar, 234, 240
whole notes, 104
Williams, Hank, 203
wiping down the bass guitar, 254, 257
Wobble, Jah, 201
wood, buyers guide, 235
wood, fingerboard, 19
Wooten, Victor, 48, 281
wrist position, 35, 37
V
Velcro ties, 244
vintage instruments, 238
vocalists, playing with, 227
volume control, 14, 26
287
21_048506 bob.qxp
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Teach Yourself VISUALLY Bass Guitar

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About the Authors

An Introduction to Bass Guitar

What the Bass Guitar Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Parts of Your Bass Guitar

Parts of the Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Holding Your Bass Guitar

The Guitar Strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Tuning Your Bass Guitar

Open-String Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Basic Fretboard Fingering

Proper Finger Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Plucking and Picking

Alternate Fingering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Play Your First Scales

Basic Music Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Playing with Chords

What Makes a Chord? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Common Chord Progressions

Chord Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146

The Metronome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

Slapping and Popping

Slapping Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206

Getting Your Tone

How Should You Play? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

Buying a Bass Guitar and Amplifier

What to Look for in Your Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

Care for Your Gear

Before You Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252

Some Last Words

Where Do You Go from Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266

Appendix: Some Especially Noteworthy

What the Bass Guitar Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

What the Bass

Elements of Bass Guitar Playing

An Introduction to Bass Guitar

Most times, youll be playing along with the

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

What the Bass

An Introduction to Bass Guitar

You dont need to buy an expensive instrument to start. A

Again, you dont need an expensive, six-foot-tall mountain

An Introduction to Bass Guitar

THE ELEMENTS OF PLAYING A NOTE

An Introduction to Bass Guitar

Find the Right Place

A comfortable chair, preferably without

Parts of Your Bass Guitar

Parts of the Bass Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

One or more pickups

Parts of Your Bass Guitar